Weeks before he started shooting, the Colorado gunman who killed one deputy and wounded four more unleashed a verbal barrage against Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock and his department.
Matthew Riehl, who was killed in the deadly New Year’s Eve shootout, went on a profane rant against the sheriff and other officers in a YouTube video entitled “Fire Sheriff Spurlock” that was posted on Dec. 13, The Associated Press reported.
Vowing to run against Spurlock as a libertarian, Riehl wrapped-up his railing with a holiday greeting and a vow to “fire all these bums come early next year.”
A 37-year-old Iraq War vet, Riehl was vague about his political beliefs and did not threaten violence, The AP said. He also gave no inkling as to why he had a beef with the department. But he called Spurlock a clown and flashed the business card of a specific officer whom he accused of being a pimp.
In another video, this one of a traffic stop in the city of Lone Tree that was posted on Nov. 28, Riehl identifies the officer caught on camera by name and calls him a “scumbag, dirtbag, liar,” the AP reported.
“He’s the boss, huh?” Riehl can be heard. “He’s the Nazi in charge with the stripes on his shoulder and the fake badge.”
Riehl, according to the Denver Post, worked for a time as a lawyer in Wyoming and served in the Wyoming National Guard.
Riehl’s deadly ambush-style attack began when police responding to a report of a disturbance at his apartment complex in suburban Denver were met with gunfire. He fired over 100 rounds, killing Deputy Zackari Parrish, a 29-year-old father of two.
The four injured officers were all in stable condition, Spurlock said. They were identified as Deputy Michael Doyle, 28; Deputy Taylor Davis, 30; Deputy Jeffrey Pelle, 32; and Castle Rock Police Department Officer Tom O’Donnell, 41.
In addition to the wounded deputies, Riehl hit two civilians, neither of whom suffered life-threatening injuries.