The latest update on an officer-involved shooting in Berthoud has revealed the identity of the suspect involved in the high-speed incident, confirmed by the Eighth Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT). Matthew David Wright, born August 13, 1991, was arrested following a chancy pursuit that resulted in an attempted traffic stop taking a perilous turn, with charges including vehicular eluding, attempted assault, reckless driving, excessively speeding, and driving with a suspended license, as reported by the City of Fort Collins.
The affair began when a Larimer County Sheriff's Office deputy tried to initiate a traffic stop early yesterday, efforts that ricocheted into a high-speed chase. Wright's alleged refusal to pull over led to a PIT maneuver by the deputy, near Grand Market Avenue and TPC Parkway, which subsequently saw the deputy firing his weapon as the suspect's vehicle lurched towards him, although Wright was not struck by gunfire. Both the deputy and Wright sustained minor injuries, but a comprehensive medical evaluation ruled out serious harm, and an adult passenger present in the suspect's vehicle emerged without injuries from the harrowing event.
Following the standard protocol, CIRT has taken the helm of the investigation with Fort Collins Police Services as the lead, intending to unravel the circumstances that escalated a routine traffic check into an alarming confrontation for law enforcement and the public alike. As charges mount, Wright's custody at the Larimer County Jail marks but a preliminary step in a legal journey, his presumed innocence standing until the courtroom's eventual narrative unfolds, and officials have not ruled out the possibility of additional charges, pending the evolving inquiry.
