Patrick Mcmahon
A Colorado sheriff’s deputy killed in the line of duty this morning has been identified.
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Deputies from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office were fired on as they responded to an early-morning call at the Copper Canyon apartment complex in Highland Ranch, Colorado. Five sheriff’s deputies and two civilians were shot in what the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office called an “ambush” style attack.
.@dcsheriff says this was an “ambush” style attack. Sheriff says rifle was used, added, “Officers went down within seconds of each other.” #CopperCanyonOIS #Denver7
— Amanda del Castillo (@AmandaDTV) December 31, 2017
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Over 100 rounds were reportedly fired by the assailant, who remains unidentified at this time but was killed by police.
“He knew we were coming,” said Sheriff Tony Spurlock in a press conference today.
UPDATE: Sheriff: Deputy Zackari Parrish, 29, was shot and killed by the Colorado mass shooting gunman; 4 deputies and 2 civilians were injured. https://t.co/YjEuGEis6w pic.twitter.com/QCeE3S6ijH
— NBC News (@NBCNews) December 31, 2017
Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputy Zackari Parrish, 29, has been identified as the officer killed on the scene. Deputy Parrish, who had been with the Sheriff’s Office just seven months, had “no ability to survive” his injuries, according to Sheriff Spurlock.
Before joining the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Parrish had served with police in the town of Castle Rock, Colorado, for about two years. A graduate of Dallas Baptist University, Parrish studied communications in college and initially worked in banking.
Upon becoming a police officer years ago, Parrish reportedly said he was fulfilling “a childhood dream that [he] never thought would become a reality.”
A native of Houston, Parrish leaves behind a wife and two young children.
At this time, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is requesting that anyone wishing to make a donation contribute to the Fallen Officer Fund of Douglas County Foundation, which it says exists “to provide assistance to Douglas County Sheriff’s Office members who are killed or seriously injured in the line of duty.[A] tax exempt donation benefits members who are seriously injured in the line of duty, or their families if killed in the line of duty.”
We've been asked how the community can donate to our deputies involved in today's shooting. If you'd like to donate you can do so through our fallen officer fund at: https://t.co/eihpRKop8C Thank you all so much for your support! #CopperCanyonOIS
— DC Sheriff (@dcsheriff) December 31, 2017
