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Adams Co. Sheriff calls out inaccuracies in reporting, but couldn’t list specifics

During a press conference Thursday, the sheriff focused on what he called "inaccuracies" in the media's reporting on the Deputy Gumm investigation.

Thursday afternoon, Adams County Sheriff Michael McIntosh spoke publicly for the first time since a shooting that left Deputy Heath Gumm dead the night before.

During the press conference, the sheriff focused on what he called "inaccuracies" in the media's reporting on the incident.

He started by mentioning that there has been "talk" of two suspects on the loose in Thornton since one of his deputies died in a shooting. But that wasn't just "talk." The information about two, potentially dangerous suspects at large came from an official from the sheriff's office during an on-camera briefing Wednesday night.

Thursday, the sheriff said there are two separate investigations, and the other two suspects were involved in the original assault incident that brought deputies to the area near 88th Avenue and Sheldon Drive in Thornton in the first place. Friday, the sheriff's office said the two people they were looking for were interviewed the day before, and released.

RELATED: No additional suspects in death of Adams County deputy

You can see Thursday's entire press conference here.

The only known arrest in this case came about 90 minutes after Deputy Gumm was shot; the bullet bypassed his ballistics vest. The Adams County Sheriff's Office said they located their suspect after a search near the scene. Dreion Martise Dearing was booked into the Adams County Jail Thursday morning on multiple counts of murder of a peace officer and a single charge of burglary.

9NEWS has not yet shared his mug shot, at the request of the sheriff's office. That's a standard ask that 9NEWS often honors as law enforcement agencies conduct lineups with witnesses.

When asked which inaccuracies the sheriff has seen in any media reports thus far, so they could be corrected, the sheriff didn't cite specific examples of inaccuracies.

REPORTER: "You talked about a lot of inaccurate information out there. can you talk about, maybe, the two most insignificant things you want to correct? that were reported inaccurately?"

SHERIFF: "I guess it's difficult to know whether the information is inaccurate - or if it's just not timely, and that would be that, that would be the information that I would be giving you. We had taken steps to make sure that we were holding (the suspect's information). Somehow it got out. And that can jeopardize an investigation."

Under Colorado law, the government cannot keep arrests a secret. In Adams County, arrests are posted on their own website. That is how the information became publicly available Thursday.

This is the first time we've heard of a law enforcement agency asking to keep a suspect's name a secret. The sheriff's office shared the name on Friday.

If 9NEWS finds any specific inaccuracies in our reporting. we'll correct them. It appears that what the sheriff called "inaccuracies" is accurate information that he didn't want reported yet.

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