ELIZABETH, Colorado — An Elbert County Sheriff's Office deputy was injured and a man is dead after a shooting in an Elizabeth apartment building Tuesday morning.
A shelter-in-place order was issued at 9 a.m. Tuesday for the area of 175 Spruce St. due to "law enforcement activity" near Fitzgerald Apartments, the Town of Elizabeth said via Facebook.
In a media briefing about the order, authorities said an Elbert County sheriff's deputy was hit in his ballistic vest in an exchange of gunfire as sheriff's office deputies and Elizabeth Police officers approached a unit within the apartment building to conduct a search warrant.
"As they approached the door, the door was open and shots were fired," Elbert County Sheriff Tim Norton said at the briefing.
The nature of the search warrant was not shared, as the investigation is still ongoing.
The deputy suffered minor injuries and was released after being evaluated by medical personnel on scene, authorities said.
"He's a very seasoned deputy," Norton said. "He is very strong, level-headed person. And my heart just dropped as soon as I heard shots fired and we had one hit."
The man who shot at deputies is dead, authorities said. He was the only person inside that unit, and residents in surrounding units were evacuated after shots were fired, according to Norton. The agencies on scene then contacted the Douglas County Regional SWAT team for assistance in resolving the situation, authorities said.
Norton said that, although shootings like this are rare in Elbert County, more resources are needed.
"We have to be prepared for anything out here," Norton said. "It may not happen very often, which we're thankful for, but we have to be ready and prepared for it."
At 11:20 a.m., the Town of Elizabeth said the incident had been resolved, and residents would soon get an update saying the shelter-in-place order was lifted.
Earlier in the morning, shortly after the shelter-in-place order was issued, Elizabeth Police said there was "increased police activity" in the 100 block of Spruce Street and asked people to avoid the area. Around 10:30 a.m., the Elizabeth Fire Protection District reported police activity on South Elbert Street and said it was closed from Highway 86 to East Maple Street. The agency also asked people to stay away from that area.
> Watch the full police briefing below:
