According to a social media post from the Bent County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to Highway 50 in the area of the Bent/Otero county line on November 25, 2023 around 1130 for a report of a man menacing and firing a weapon inside a vehicle. The Sheriff’s Office said officers became aware of the possibility that the individual claimed he wanted to engage in a “shoot out” with police.

Officers from five agencies arrived to assist. Northern Railroad was forced to stop all trains moving through the area due to the proximity of the vehicle to the tracks. Officers began to give commands to the suspect. For an hour or so, the suspect ignored commands and refused to exit his vehicle.

Eventually, the suspect exited the vehicle and surrendered to officers without incident. The Colorado State Police, Bent County Sheriff’s Office, Otero County Sheriff’s Office, La Junta Police Department, La Junta Fire Department, and Colorado Division of Wildlife were involved in the incident.