Sheriff says no other suspects sought in deputy's death
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Two men who were nearby when a Colorado sheriff's deputy was shot and killed were interviewed and released, authorities said Friday as a suspect in the slaying prepared to make his first court appearance.
A statement issued on Twitter by the Adams County Sheriff's Office said no other suspects were being sought in the killing of 31-year-old Deputy Heath Gumm.
Court records show 22-year-old Dreion Martise Dearing was being held on suspicion of homicide of a peace officer and second-degree burglary.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}It was not immediately clear if he had an attorney.
No further details were released about the questioning of the two men who were nearby during the attack. Authorities have previously said they were not suspects in the deputy's death but were wanted for questioning.
Gumm and other deputies were responding to a disturbance in a residential area about 8 miles (13 kilometers) north of downtown Denver on Wednesday night when the shooting took place.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Deputies were called to an "assault in progress" and saw a man run behind a house. When they caught up with the man, he pulled out a handgun and opened fire, striking Gumm in the chest, before fleeing, the sheriff's office said.
Adams County Sheriff Michael McIntosh said Gumm was wearing a bulletproof vest but declined to specify where the bullet hit him. An autopsy was conducted Thursday.
McIntosh said police believe three people, including the suspect, were involved in the initial altercation that brought deputies to the area.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Police combed the area for evidence Thursday, prompting some schools to shut down for the day. All the campuses were expected to be open Friday.
Gumm's death came less than a month after 29-year-old Douglas County sheriff's Deputy Zackari Parrish was fatally shot and four other officers were wounded in suburban Denver by a man with a history of mental health problems.
McIntosh said in 30 years with the sheriff's department, he had experienced only one other officer dying "in the line of duty."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Gumm was married and had worked for the sheriff's office since 2012.