BRIGHTON, Colo. — Brighton police have arrested a burglary suspect accused of trying to kill an officer Wednesday.
The Brighton Police Department said officers were called just before 5:20 p.m. Wednesday to a burglary that had just happened in the 300 block of North 7th Avenue. When officers got there, they learned that the victim had come home to find an unknown man inside. The homeowner reported that he was trying to steal a guitar and an amplifier but dropped them on his way out, according to an arrest affidavit. Police said the victim gave police a description of the suspect and said he was armed with a metal pipe.
The police department said officers quickly surrounded the area and saw the man entering a yard in the next block. The people living there identified him as 34-year-old Matthew Lucero and said he was a family member of theirs, the affidavit says, and told police he had gone into the shed in the backyard.
Police said after refusing to come out of the shed for nearly an hour, Lucero appeared with a hatchet and a sledgehammer. He then climbed on top of a nearby fence and threw the hatchet toward a Brighton Police officer's face, hitting his forearm, according to the police department.
Police said Lucero then threw the sledgehammer at the same officer, who managed to jump out of the way. Officers used a less lethal bean bag to shoot Lucero, the release said, who went back into the shed. After several minutes, he came out and was taken into custody.
Police said the officer had minor injuries.
Lucero was booked at the Adams County jail on suspicion of attempted murder of a peace officer, first-degree burglary and other charges, police said.
On Tuesday, the Adams County District Attorney's Office announced it had filed the following charges against Lucero:
- first-degree attempted murder
- first-degree assault on a peace officer
- second-degree burglary
- attempted robbery
- third-degree assault
- crime of violence
Anyone who witnessed the incident or has further information is asked to call the Brighton Police Department's tip line at 303-655-8740, reference case number 23-4943.
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