PUEBLO, Colo. — Two of the police officers who were critically injured in an ambush shooting were shot in the head with an AR-15 rifle, according to a letter sent by the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police to Gov. Jared Polis and state lawmakers, The Pueblo Chieftain reported.
The letter reveals new details in the shooting, including that the two most seriously injured officers were shot in the head, according to the report. A third officer was also wounded. All three were hospitalized, with the two officers who suffered head wounds now discharged. The third officer was expected to be released by April 12.
The suspect, who was out on bond in three separate felony cases despite 14 prior felony arrests, was killed by return fire from officers, according to the report. The incident remains under investigation by the 10th Judicial Critical Incident Response Team, led by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
CACP officials wrote that the first officer was ambushed while sitting in his vehicle. As additional officers arrived, the suspect fired nearly 80 rounds from the rifle, according to the letter. Pueblo police spokesperson Bianca Hicks said the officers’ survival came down to chance, noting that slight changes in bullet trajectory could have resulted in fatalities.
“This represents a catastrophic failure of our pretrial system to protect both officers and the public from individuals with demonstrated patterns of dangerous behavior,” CACP officials stated in the letter.
Pueblo Police Chief Chris Noeller, speaking after the attack, blamed recent state policies for enabling such violence.
“The blood of my officers lays at the steps of the Capitol,” Noeller said, referencing laws he believes have weakened penalties for violent offenders.
The CACP also supports new measures under consideration, including bills that would allow judges to impose monetary bonds for repeat court no-shows, reclassify all firearm thefts as felonies and restrict gun ownership for those convicted of auto theft, according to the report.
State Sen. Nick Hinrichsen, who met with Noeller and Pueblo Mayor Heather Graham on April 4, said that while there was agreement on issues like firearm theft penalties, the suspect’s release was not the direct result of recent legislative changes. Of the 14 felony charges Soto had faced, 10 were dismissed and juries acquitted him on two others charges. His convictions date back to 2015.
Gov. Polis, through a spokesperson, said he supports law enforcement efforts and shares the CACP’s vision of improving public safety. His office cited statewide crime reductions from 2023 to 2024, including a 15% drop in property crime and a 26% decrease in auto theft, according to the report.
Polis said he intends to continue working with law enforcement on legislation targeting gun and vehicle theft and will use his veto power if needed to oppose bills that could weaken public safety.
