Armed man breaks into Colorado Supreme Court building, causes “significant and extensive” damage
The incident happened two weeks to the day after the state Supreme Court ruled Donald Trump cannot appear on the state’s primary ballot based on his actions surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol breach and the riot by his supporters.
A man shot through a window and broke into the Colorado Supreme Court building early Tuesday morning, causing “significant and extensive” damage in several areas of the building before surrendering to police, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
The incident happened two weeks to the day after the state Supreme Court ruled Donald Trump cannot appear on the state’s primary ballot based on his actions surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol breach and the riot by his supporters. Colorado State Patrol officials said in a news release that Tuesday’s incident is not believed to be “associated with previous threats to the Colorado Supreme Court justices.”
Police were investigating threats made to the Supreme Court justices in the week after the ruling and increased patrols around their Denver homes following at least one “hoax report,” the Associated Press reported.
The man who broke into the courthouse was involved in a crash about 1:15 a.m. near 13th Avenue and Lincoln Street a short time before he forced his way into the Ralph L. Carr Colorado Judicial Center, which houses the Colorado Supreme Court, the Colorado Court of Appeals and several other state agencies.
After the crash, the man allegedly pointed a handgun at the other driver involved before breaking into the judicial center. The man then held an unarmed CSP Capitol Security Unit guard at gunpoint and took their keys, according to the CSP.
The man accessed an unknown number of floors in the courthouse, then made his way to the seventh floor and fired additional shots inside the building, CSP officials said.
Denver police officers and CSP troopers set up a perimeter around the building, and the man fired at police, Denver7 reported. Police did not fire back. The man called 911 around 3 a.m. and voluntarily surrendered to police, according to the CSP.
Neither the man nor any building occupants or police were injured during the incident. Police have not yet publicly identified the suspect.
The judicial center will be closed for some time because of “significant water damage,” said Colorado Judicial Department spokesman Jon Sarché. He added that he does not believe any court personnel were in the building at the time, aside from security personnel.
Colorado State Patrol’s security guard unit is separate from its troopers. The agencies’ unarmed security guards are not certified law enforcement officers and can be as young as 18, while troopers, who carry guns, must be at least 21 and be certified by the Colorado Peace Officers Standard and Training Board, Trooper Gabriel Moltrer said Tuesday.
The security guards patrol a variety of state buildings, Moltrer said. He was not sure whether troopers are stationed at the buildings overnight as well.
The Denver Police Department is leading the investigation into the break in. Spokespeople for the police department did not return multiple requests for more information Tuesday.