Police shot and killed a man in Summit County after an emergency alert was sent to residents

A Summit County sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a man in the Summit Cove area near Keystone Sunday morning.

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation is currently assisting Summit County in investigating the shooting.

The sheriff’s office first reported the shooting on its Facebook page around 8:45 a.m. and said there was no ongoing threat to the community. The sheriff’s office did not say much until 11 a.m., but the death was confirmed by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

The man who was killed was identified by the family as 18-year-old Charlie Foster, according to the Summit Daily newspaper. In that article, Foster’s aunt Monica Vasquez said that her nephew experienced a mental health crisis on Sunday morning.

Emergency dispatch audio also recorded a Summit County dispatcher referring to a mental health crisis.

Foster’s family declined to speak to a CBS News Colorado reporter in Summit County Sunday afternoon.

The shooting itself was alerted to the sheriff’s office after an emergency alert was sent to nearby residents telling them to shelter in place due to a “police emergency.”

“Shelter indoors immediately. Close all windows and doors. Completely turn off any heating and air conditioning systems. This is not a test,” the alert continued.

In a statement Sunday afternoon, the Summit County Sheriff’s Office said Foster “pointed a gun” at a deputy and a police officer, who then shot Foster. The sheriff’s office said the deputy and officer attempted to provide medical aid to Foster, but medics pronounced him dead at the scene.

“We recognize that incidents like this have a significant impact on our community, and we extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the individual who lost their life,” Summit County Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons said in a statement. . “We understand the pain and grief that follows such a tragic event, and we are committed to providing support and resources to those affected during this difficult time.”

The two officers who fired their guns are now on paid administrative leave, as is standard procedure after a police shooting. FitzSimons said his agency is transparent in the investigation.

“We want to assure the community that we remain committed to building and maintaining trust through transparency,” the statement continued. “We will provide updates on the progress of the investigation as they become available, while also respecting confidentiality and legal considerations that may arise during the process.”

Read the sheriff’s office’s full statement here:

The first call appeared to come in around 7:25 a.m. in the 800 block of Summit Drive according to emergency radio dispatch audio.

Deputies and a dispatcher spoke of a person possibly armed with a gun. A dispatcher said on the radio that the call appeared to be “pertaining to a missing juvenile who is experiencing a mental health crisis.”

At least one Summit County sheriff’s deputy and at least one Dillon police officer arrived and one officer said over the radio that they were pointing a gun at the man.

Around 7:40 in the morning, someone asked on the radio to issue a shelter-in-place and as another person pressed the “talk” button on their radio microphone, gunshots could be heard on the radio.

It is unclear which officer or deputy fired their weapon or if Foster had or fired a weapon. His aunt told Summit Daily that he had a BB gun while officers could be heard on radio dispatch audio pointing only to a weapon or gun.

It was also not immediately clear if any responding officers had bodycams, but CBS News Colorado submitted a public records request for footage of the shooting.

Local nonprofit Building Hope Summit County said it will offer walk-in support to anyone affected by the shooting Monday, July 10 from 2 to 5 p.m. at Summit High School.