Suspect shot once in chest
Boulder police say 32-year-old Terrance Ashley Baughman died at 8:23 p.m. Monday night after an injury to the chest, resulting from a stand-off with police at Boulder Community Hospital.
In a press release, Boulder police spokeswoman Sarah Huntley identified the SWAT officer involved in the shooting as Matt DeLaria, a corporal with the University of Colorado Police Department.
DeLaria has been a member of Boulder Police Department’s SWAT team since 2002 and is a firearms instructor and instructor for UCPD’s Rapid Emergency Deployment Team.
As part of a mutual aid agreement between Boulder and CU police, UCPD officers are eligible to become members of Boulder Police Department’s SWAT team. Currently, there are two officers on the team.
Huntley said DeLaria had been placed on administrative leave by UCPD following the shooting, which is routine for any officer-involved shooting.
Police said Baughman entered the emergency room in a wheelchair earlier this morning claiming to have a detonator attached to an oxygen tank he was carrying with him.
The hospital was evacuated to safety zones while police attempted to negotiate with the suspect.
The SWAT team fired one shot that injured the suspect in the chest after he reportedly got up from his wheelchair.
“The suspect was negotiated with from 9:00 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. when he got up from his wheelchair and moved in a way that caused concern to the SWAT officers,” Huntley said. “They then fired one shot.”
Huntley said Baughman was immediately taken into surgery at the Boulder Community Hospital after being wounded.
Boulder Emergency Services removed the package Baughman had carried with him and then tested it for explosives in field of North Boulder Park. There was a second package found inside the hospital, but it was not tested.
“The process lasted about one and a half hours and a special robot used for explosive devices was used in the process,” said Officer James Stafford of the Lafayette Police Department.
Police shouted “fire in the hole!” and then injected the package with a water charge in attempt to break explosives into pieces.
Boulder police finally exploded the device after three attempts to detonate the package.
Huntley said Baughman had had past run-ins with Boulder police. He had also previously been treated at the hospital.
“His previous doctor assisted the police in negotiating with Baughman,” Huntley said.
It is unknown if the package contained explosive materials, but police are investigating the contents.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Brittany Sovine at Brittany.sovine@colorado.edu.
