CASTLE ROCK, Colo. — Two Castle Rock officers who fired weapons at a Castle Rock man who was armed with a knife won't face charges, in part because he "was attempting to provoke officers to shoot him," the district attorney said in a decision letter.
The shooting took place around 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 8, 2020, after officers responded to a home on Short Grass Court for a reported domestic dispute.
In 911 calls, the suspect's wife can be heard crying and saying "we need the police out. We’re having a domestic violence right now," the decision letter says.
> The video above is the initial report about the shooting from December.
The call ended and dispatch called back. The suspect, James Woodall, answered, according to the letter, and said his wife was giving him a "hard time" in his own house and told them to "come on here," the letter says.
As officers headed to the scene, additional 911 calls came in from family members and witnesses.
One caller said, "he has a gun" and reported that Woodall was breaking windows and tearing up the garage and "being crazy," the letter says. Woodall's son reported that his grandmother, mother and two siblings were inside that home and that he had a gun, according to the letter. He also said that "he might go out by suicide by cop or something."
Another son, described as a juvenile male in the letter, called 911 from inside the home, and said that his dad was "going psycho" and had threatened to shoot himself. He said his dad had hurt his mom by pushing her to the floor, the letter says.
At 9:41 p.m., Officer Luke Godfrey arrived on the scene and obtained his less-lethal shotgun from his patrol car just as Woodall exited the garage and walked into the roadway, the letter says.
Godfrey and several other officers who arrived spotted a silver metal object in Woodall's hand, which, based on the 911 calls, they believed was a gun.
Officer James Dinges immediately began yelling for Woodall to drop the gun and show his hands, the letter says. Woodall responded with an expletive followed by "shoot me," according to the letter.
Godfrey moved toward Woodall and realized he was holding a knife, but he did not announce it was a knife, the letter says. Godfrey reported that he believed Woodall "posed an immediate risk to himself" and the people inside the home and fired from his less-lethal shotgun in an effort to stop Woodall, the letter says.
He said that the "window of opportunity" to act was "quickly closing" so he did not announce he was going to fire a less-lethal round, the letter says.
Woodall was struck in the upper body by the less-lethal round.
Officer Dinges mistakenly believed, according to the letter, that Woodall had fired at officers, and fired nine rounds at Woodall from his rifle. He was hit several times, according to the letter.
Officers placed Woodall in handcuffs and then began rendering aid, according to the letter.
When members of Castle Rock Fire Rescue took over his care, the letter says, Woodall told them "he didn't want to hurt anyone" and that he "wanted to be shot by the cops so he could meet Jesus."
Woodall sustained gunshot wounds to his abdomen, the back of his arm, and his hip. He sustained internal injuries and underwent at least two surgeries and was released from the hospital after several months.
The district attorney determined the officers were justified in their use of physical force because they believed there was an "imminent threat" based on Woodall's actions and witness accounts of his behavior.
Woodall now faces the following criminal charges related to the incident.
- One count of third-degree assault
- One count of criminal mischief
He's due in court on May 3.
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