PHOTO: Lincoln County Deputy Michael Hutton, Who Was Shot Multiple Times In Ambush, Gives Thumbs Up At Hospital
(CBS4) - A deputy who was shot several times and seriously injured in an ambush in eastern Colorado early Thursday morning is at a hospital in the Denver area. The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office shared a photo in the afternoon of Deputy Michael Hutton giving a thumbs up from his hospital bed.
The sheriff's office called him a "hero" in their post on Twitter and say his wife and their small child are with him. He was listed in serious but stable condition.
The attack happened near Limon. Hutton responded to a report of a theft where some semi trucks were parked shortly after 3 a.m. at Highway 40/287, not far from Interstate 70.
Hutton was able to call for backup after being shot numerous times and falling back, and the suspect was later found dead in a field from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Lincoln County Sheriff's Capt. Michael Yowell said everyone in his office was thrilled to learn that Hutton is able to talk with investigators, and that his condition didn't turn out to be critical.
"I struggle to find a word for it. Scared, and if anybody tells you different they are wrong," said Yowell, describing the hours before he and his fellow officers got an update from the hospital.
Hutton is a veteran of the Air Force.
