Bodycam Footage Shows Deputy Shooting Suspect Armed With Rifle

Authorities released officer body camera footage on Wednesday of a suspect who was shot by a Douglas County sheriff’s deputy. Last Friday evening a Douglas County deputy saw what appeared to be a stranded motorist in a white GMC SUV near County Line Road and Santa Fe Drive. He got out of his cruiser to help. “As he approached the vehicle, the occupant of the vehicle got out of the vehicle with a rifle and confronted the deputy,” said Cmdr. Trent Cooper with the Littleton Police Department. Cooper says the weapon was a military style semi-automatic rifle. The deputy gave verbal commands to drop the weapon, which were ignored.

Fearing for his life the officer fired, striking the suspect in the arm. “He was essentially attacked and felt his life was in danger and responded the way he was trained to do,” said Cooper. The suspect, identified as Deyon Marcus Rivas-Maestas, 26, remains hospitalized. According to Cooper, Rivas-Maestas faces assault charges once he is released. The Littleton Police Department and the 18th Judicial District’s Critical Incident Response Team are investigating the shooting. The deputy is on administrative leave during the investigation.