The Campbell County Sheriff’s deputy who survived a shootout outside Wright, Wyoming, on Sunday night had to make a split decision to rush behind his car after a man fired a shotgun at him, the sheriff says.
The deputy returned fire, killing the suspect, who was identified Wednesday by Campbell County Coroner Paul Wallem as Christopher B. Morales, 55.
Morales was the subject of a domestic violence call that night at about 9:23. His wife’s eye was swollen shut when law enforcement agents met with her, Campbell County Sheriff Scott Matheny told Cowboy State Daily on Monday.
She'd been trying to escape her husband, he also said.
What The Body Cam Shows
Matheny related his observations from the deputy’s body camera footage of the altercation to Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday.
In the video, the deputy pulls up to the home from which the call originated. Just as the car dings to indicate that the door has opened, a shotgun blast impacts and comes through the windshield near where the deputy was beginning to lean out of the car, Matheny said.
“I’m telling you, divine intervention there — it’s just crazy,” he said about the deputy not being hurt.
The deputy rushes to the back of his car to take cover behind it. Matheny said that reflects his training to use his car as a shield.
He tells Morales to drop the gun, then he returns fire, the sheriff said.
‘Drop The Gun!’
Matheny wasn’t sure how many shots the deputy fired. A very rough estimate would number them about five, he said.
The deputy continues to give commands after firing: “Drop the gun! Drop the gun!”
He then waits for backup, which is by then a minute away, Matheny related from the video.
Backup arrives, approaches Morales, handcuffs him and begins CPR, which is unsuccessful, the sheriff said.
The deputy appears calm throughout the encounter, Matheny said.
“He said he was in training mode: law-enforcement mode,” said the sheriff.
Later, the gravity of the situation, the unfortunate nature of it and the unlikely fortune of the deputy’s survival did impact the deputy, he added.
Sheriff’s personnel have had contact with Morales at his home before, “but not an extraordinary amount,” he said.
Morales’ autopsy is slated for Thursday. Wallem said that’s later than usual since there have been a higher-than-normal quantity of deaths in the area this week
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
