A 40-year-old former Boulder County Sheriff's Office deputy was arrested early Monday after allegedly firing an AR-15-style rifle at the sheriff's headquarters in Boulder, capping off a chaotic overnight spree that began with a 911 call about anxiety and ended with gunfire at two separate police agencies. Tyler Boyd Reilly now faces felony charges after deputies took him into custody outside the headquarters entryway without incident.
The incident began around 12:02 a.m. Monday when Reilly called 911 reporting anxiety and was transferred to the Westminster Police Department, according to BNO News. Six minutes later, he called back and made threats against Boulder County Sheriff's Office facilities, including the jail, according to the Denver Gazette. Investigators identified the caller as Reilly, a former deputy.
Reilly served as a Boulder County Sheriff's deputy across both the patrol and jail divisions before resigning in lieu of termination for cause on May 25, 2024, per 9News. That prior insider status has drawn scrutiny to the case, though the specific reasons behind his forced departure have not been detailed publicly.
Threats Trigger a Countywide Response
In response to the threats, law enforcement staged personnel at three key sites: the sheriff's headquarters at 5600 Flatiron Parkway, the Boulder County Jail at 3200 Airport Road, and the Communications Center at 3280 Airport Road, all within Boulder County. Deputies tracked Reilly's vehicle as he traveled northbound on Colorado Highway 287 from Dillon Road, the report notes.
Reilly allegedly stopped at the Broomfield Police Department headquarters at 7 Descombes Drive and fired multiple rounds at police vehicles, according to the same account. The incident involved reported shootings in Broomfield and at the sheriff's headquarters in Boulder, where deputies took him into custody outside his former workplace.
Deputies Arrest Reilly Outside Headquarters
At approximately 1:08 a.m., a Boulder County Sheriff's sergeant spotted Reilly armed with the rifle at the headquarters entryway, where he fired shots before deputies confronted and arrested him. Personnel were working inside the building at the time of the shooting, though no one was injured and Reilly never gained entry, the sheriff's office said.
The rapid succession of events, from a mental health call to gunfire at two law enforcement agencies in roughly an hour, has left investigators piecing together what pushed Reilly toward the headquarters where he once worked. Open questions remain about his motive and the exact circumstances of his 2024 departure.
Potential Felony Charges Under Colorado Law
Colorado law treats the alleged conduct seriously. Under Colorado Revised Statute § 18-12-107.5, knowingly or recklessly discharging a firearm into any dwelling or other building, an occupied structure, or a motor vehicle occupied by a person is a Class 5 felony, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Separately, Colorado Revised Statute § 18-3-206 elevates menacing from a misdemeanor to a Class 5 felony when a firearm, knife, bludgeon, or simulated firearm, knife, or bludgeon is used to place someone in fear of imminent serious bodily injury, per WomensLaw.org.
Public Services Disrupted at Headquarters
The shooting has had immediate operational consequences for Boulder County residents. The main public lobby at 5600 Flatiron Parkway was shut down following the incident, forcing residents seeking civil process services to handle requests via phone or email instead of walking in, the sheriff's office said.
The Boulder County Sheriff's Office is led by Sheriff Curtis Johnson. Johnson now oversees an agency investigating one of its own former deputies in a case that unfolded just steps from the building where Reilly once worked. Reilly faces felony charges.
