Man Charged With Felonies After Deputy Shoots Driver in Berthoud

The Eighth Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team identified a 34-year-old man as the suspect in an officer-involved shooting that occurred November 16 following a high-speed chase and vehicle immobilization in Berthoud.

Matthew David Wright was booked into the Larimer County Jail on November 17 and faces charges including vehicular eluding, attempted third-degree assault, reckless driving, excessive speeding and driving with a suspended license, according to Fort Collins Police Services.

The incident began at 2:32 a.m. November 16 when a Larimer County Sheriff's deputy attempted a traffic stop near Grand Market Avenue and TPC Parkway in Berthoud. Wright refused to stop and fled at high speeds, according to the Sheriff's Office.

The deputy performed a PIT (precision immobilization technique) to stop the vehicle on Highway 60 just east of Interstate 25. After the maneuver, Wright accelerated toward the deputy, who then fired his service weapon.

The deputy sustained minor injuries due to concern about injury symptoms and was transported to an area hospital for evaluation. Medical staff determined he was unharmed. Wright sustained minor injuries during the incident but was not struck by gunfire. He received treatment at an area hospital before being taken into custody.

An adult passenger in Wright's vehicle was not injured.

CIRT Conducts Independent Investigation

The Eighth Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team was activated immediately following the shooting to conduct an independent investigation. Fort Collins Police Services is serving as the lead agency.

CIRT operates under Colorado Revised Statutes requiring that officer-involved shooting investigations be conducted by an independent team rather than the agency employing the involved officer. The multi-agency team includes highly trained investigators from the Larimer County Sheriff's Office, Fort Collins Police Services, Loveland Police Department, Windsor Police Department, Berthoud Police Department, Colorado State Patrol and other local agencies, along with District Attorney's Office personnel.

A deputy shot a driver on November 16 after the vehicle accelerated toward the officer following the pursuit and immobilization maneuver.

The team structure includes commanders from at least three different agencies to reduce conflicts of interest. Members from the involved officer's employer agency cannot serve as incident commander, team leader or conduct the involved officer's interview.

Upon completion, CIRT presents findings to the Larimer County District Attorney, who reviews the investigation and applies relevant Colorado law to determine whether use of force was justified.

Charges Filed Against Wright

Wright faces one felony and four misdemeanors:

Vehicular eluding under C.R.S. 18-9-116.5 is a class 5 felony. The charge applies when a suspect knowingly flees from a police officer while operating a vehicle in a reckless manner.

Attempted third-degree assault under C.R.S. 18-3-204 is a class 2 misdemeanor.

Reckless driving under C.R.S. 42-4-1401 is a class 2 misdemeanor.

Speeding 40 or more miles per hour over the limit under C.R.S. 42-4-1101(1) is a class 2 traffic misdemeanor.

Driving while license under suspension under C.R.S. 42-2-138(1)(a) is a class A traffic infraction.

All charges are accusations by law enforcement, and Wright must be presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. The Larimer County District Attorney's Office may file additional charges as the investigation continues.

Recent High-Speed Pursuits in Northern Colorado

Two people were arrested November 11 after a pursuit that reached speeds exceeding 150 mph crossed county and state lines during the early morning hours. That chase involved coordination between the Larimer County Sheriff's Office, Weld County Sheriff's Office, Wyoming Highway Patrol and Laramie County Sheriff's Office.

The investigation remains active. Anyone with information about the November 16 incident who has not spoken to police should contact Fort Collins Police Detective Corporal Julia Chenoweth at 970-416-2645.