KIOWA COUNTY, Colo. — Two deputies from a rural Colorado county are on administrative leave following a deadly shooting that began with a traffic stop Thursday afternoon.
The incident occurred at around 3 p.m., when a news release from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) says two Kiowa County deputies pulled over a man driving a pickup truck near Colorado State Highway 96 and Main Street in the town of Brandon.
During the traffic stop, the release says a man, who was a passenger in the truck, ran away. A struggle ensued between the deputies and the suspect, and shots were fired, according to the release.
RELATED: Vast swaths of Colorado have no intensive care unit hospital beds, complicating COVID-19 response
That man, later identified as 39-year-old Zachary Gifford, was pronounced dead at the scene. Gifford lived in the town of Eads.
Neither of the deputies was hurt during the incident. CBI identified the two deputies involved as Undersheriff Tracy Weisenhorn and Deputy Quentin Stump.
The Prowers County Sheriff’s Office and Colorado Bureau of Investigation have been called to probe the shooting. They will present their findings to the 15th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
It’s unclear why Gifford ran away. In an earlier news release, CBI said one of the deputies deployed a stun gun.
Kiowa County is located in the southeastern corner of Colorado, and is one of the least-populated counties in the state.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS | Local stories from 9NEWS
