Man arrested after banging head on cruiser following domestic violence incident
On Sunday, June 8, at around 10:19 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 7200 block of Rising Moon Drive, off Centennial Boulevard, in reference to an active domestic violence disturbance, where the suspect was threatening to shoot himself. Upon arrival, officers contacted the victim and learned the suspect was inside the home alone and the children were at a neighbor's house.
After an investigation, probable cause was established for the suspect, 36-year-old Charlie Wetzel, who was still inside the home. During the original altercation, police say it was possible Wetzel cut his arm with a piece of glass and threatened to shoot himself.
Officers set up containment on the home, and a CSPD K9 and an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) officer were called to assist. The UAV officer was able to locate the suspect in a bedroom and see that he was 'somewhat responsive.' A K9 officer then gave warnings to the suspect from the front door.
The suspect exited the home and was taken into custody. While being escorted to a police car, he began to resist and bang his head on the side of the cruiser, causing damage.
He was taken to the hospital, medically cleared, and booked into the Criminal Justice Center.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
He 'was coming at me with a knife': Fatal officer-involved shooting in Colorado Springs ruled justified
WARNING: Some of the video and audio recordings previously released by CSPD and details of the incident may be disturbing to some readers. Discretion is advised. (COLORADO SPRINGS) — A fatal officer-involved shooting in Colorado Springs, in which a suspect who 'was covered in blood' rushed at officers with a knife, has been ruled justified by the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office (DA's Office). According to the DA's Office review, at midnight on Oct. 8, 2024, officers with the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) responded to the 5100 block of Prairie Grass Lane in the Stetson Hills neighborhood near Tutt Boulevard after a 911 caller reported that his roommate had 'made suicidal threats and was harming himself.' PREVIOUS COVERAGE: CSPD releases footage of deadly Stetson Hills officer-involved shooting The caller said the man, later identified as 41-year-old Matthew Kemper, was lying on the floor of the living room and 'was covered in blood, completely nude, and armed with a knife.' CSPD Sergeant Andrew Rutter arrived on scene first at 12:07 a.m. and made contact with a second roommate, who was standing outside the home. The roommate told Sgt. Rutter that 'Mr. Kemper had attempted to assault him while armed with a knife.' CSPD Officers Noah Bartron and Kyle Mace arrived on scene shortly after, and just before 12:15 a.m., several officers approached the home with Officer Bartron at the lead. The front door was open when officers arrived, and 'Officer Bartron opened the home's screen door… while announcing the presence of law enforcement.' According to the DA's Office, 'He saw Mr. Kemper on the floor and noted Mr. Kemper had blood 'all over his face.'' According to the review, the reporting roommate was still in the front room but was separated from the officers by the suspect. 'The suspect was acting erratically and exhibiting suicidal behavior. He was armed with a knife, covered in blood, and blocking a path of escape for his roommate, the reporting party, when officers arrived,' the DA's Office wrote. 'Officers Bartron and Mace expressed they feared for the safety of the reporting party, for themselves, and for their fellow officers.' When Officer Bartron asked the roommate to exit the home, they did not respond. '…He looked terrified, like he couldn't move. He looked just scared. I remember yelling to him, 'Hey, come to me' because I wanted to get him out,' Officer Bartron stated. 'And as soon as I yelled, 'come to me,' [Mr. Kemper] lifted his chin and looked right at me.' The DA's Office reported that was when Kemper jumped to his feet. 'Officer Bartron stepped back to create space but, because the reporting party was still inside the residence, said he did not feel it was safe for law enforcement to leave.' Kemper then rushed toward officers while holding out a knife, according to the review. '…And in his left hand, I see a knife, a steak knife with a brown hilt and a silver blade that's serrated,' Officer Mace said. Officer Bartron yelled toward Kemper, 'No, no, stay, stop.' As Kemper continued to approach officers with the knife, Officer Mace 'pivoted from his department-issued taser, which he'd already drawn, to his handgun.' According to the DA's Office, Officer Mace stated he threw his taser and reached for his gun because, '[The taser] takes two probes to hit and be effective. I didn't want to risk serious bodily injury or death to myself, my partner, or the innocent.' '[Mr. Kemper] was coming at me with a knife, and I was afraid if he wasn't stopped, he was going to hurt me, my partner, or the other person in the room,' said Officer Bartron. Officer Bartron fired four rounds from his duty handgun at Kemper, who was hit multiple times and collapsed to the floor, the DA's Office wrote. 'He did not respond to commands to stop. Officers Bartron and Mace stated they were in fear for their lives, their fellow officers' lives, and the life of the reporting party,' according to the review. The reporting roommate was led outside of the house by Officer Mace while officers on scene rendered medical aid to Kemper before medical personnel arrived. 'Despite the lifesaving efforts from CSPD officers and CSFD personnel, Mr. Kemper died at the scene,' wrote the DA's Office. 'Following an autopsy, [the] El Paso County Coroner's Office determined Kemper died as the result of multiple gunshot wounds.' According to the toxicology panel, Kemper had marijuana in his system at the time of his death. The DA's Office said Officers Bartron and Mace were both equipped with body-worn cameras, but the equipment did not function correctly. The body-worn camera on Sgt. Rutter, however, did function correctly and recorded events normally. 'This information was raised with the BWC vendor, who stated this disruption was the result of a bug in their reporting system, which had been identified and resolved,' wrote the DA's Office regarding the remote activation failures and temporary interruption in device connectivity. After completing a thorough review of the facts and evidence, Colorado's 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office has determined the use of deadly physical force by Colorado Springs Police Officer Noah Bartron on October 8, 2024, was justified, based on all the facts and circumstances of this case under the laws of the State of Colorado. No charges will be filed based on the statutes outlined previously, as well as the necessary application of ethical rules. 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, help is available. Call or text 988 to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline; this service provides 24/7 confidential support for anyone in crisis or emotional distress. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Yahoo
Ukraine Scrambling To Fight Against Growing Russian Shahed-136 Threat
The First Corps Azov of the National Guard of Ukraine is on a recruitment drive to expand its ability to defend against Shahed-type drones. It is part of a nationwide effort to counter the increasing number of Russia's long-range drone attacks that are being made possible by growing production capacity of these weapons and improvements in their strike capabilities. 'Our needs include manning several batteries, specialized technical support teams, UAS and FPV interceptor groups, as well as analytical and support personnel,' Andrii 'Hack' Danyliuk, Captain, Head of the Air Defense Department of the 1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine Azov, told The War Zone on Monday. 'Each structural element will consist of dozens of professional service members, collectively forming a powerful fighting force. This is not a short-term reinforcement effort, but the development of a systemic capability to become a key component in countering enemy UAVs at the operational-tactical level.' The Azov recruitment campaign comes as Russia has dramatically ramped up Shahed attacks on Ukrainian cities. On July 9, Russia launched the largest Shahed attack of the all-out war, firing 728 Shahed drones and decoys, as well as seven Iskander cruise missiles and six Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles. Another 426 Shaheds were fired at Ukraine between Sunday evening and Monday morning, the Ukrainian Air Force reported. All up in smoke: Kyiv shrouded in the aftermath of another massive attack — Slava (@Heroiam_Slava) July 21, 2025 Beyond stepping up the number of drones it is launching, Russia has changed its tactics, expanding its ability to overwhelm already limited Ukrainian air defenses. 'Instead of deploying 500 drones nationwide like they used to, Russian forces now target one or two cities at a time,' according to (CP) a Ukrainian defense technology publication. 'These drones now fly either very high, at altitudes above 3-4 km, or extremely low over the ground, close to the roofs of apartment buildings.' At the higher altitudes, mobile fire groups with machine guns can't hit the Shaheds, noted. At the lower altitudes – just over the ground – the drones are much harder to detect, decreasing reaction time or allowing them to get by unseen by sensors. As a result of Russia's increased attacks and improved tactics, Ukraine's ability to defend against these drones is diminishing. Shaheds are now hitting targets at three times the rate they were in previous months, according to Ukrainian Air Force data analyzed by the Financial Times. Mass Shahed attacks 'appear to be overwhelming Ukraine's beleaguered air defenses, with the drone hit rate reaching its highest levels since Moscow's invasion,' the publication posited. 'Ukrainian air force data suggests about 15 percent of the drones penetrated defenses on average between April and June — rising from just five percent in the previous three months.' ''The problem is not [that] the Ukraine air defence is getting worse. Instead, what we see is that new swarming tactics and drones are now flying in higher altitude, [which] makes them more effective,'" — Bianna Golodryga (@biannagolodryga) July 21, 2025 Making matters worse for Ukraine, Russia is drastically increasing the number of drones it is producing. As we have previously noted, while Russia initially relied on Iran to supply its Shaheds, it now produces its own at the rate of 2,000 per month with plans to nearly triple that in the not too distant future. On Sunday, Russian media released a new video showing off its Shahed factory in the Tartarstan region, which you can see below. Inside Russia's Geran-2 drone factory in TatarstanRare footage reveals the Alabuga plant's mass production of tens of thousands of deadly kamikaze dronesDesigned to attack in relentless swarms — 'Gerans' punch through Ukraine's defenses — outmaneuvering even F-16s — RT (@RT_com) July 20, 2025 Ukraine has created several methods for detecting Shaheds, including robust audio detection systems and an app that people can use to report what they see or hear. Now Ukraine is looking for new techniques. As a means to counter the increasing Shahed threat, Ukraine has developing so-called interceptor drones. They are based on uniquely-configured first-person view (FPV) drones Ukraine has been using to counter Russian reconnaissance drones for the past year. These counter-air FPV drones have to fly faster and higher than their standard FPV counterparts used for striking ground targets. CP talked to three Ukrainian drone manufacturers who laid out what's needed to use FPV drones to counter Shaheds. A speed of over 200 km/h (about 124 mph). A regular FPV flies at up to 120 km/h (about 75 mph). The ability to climb to altitudes of up to 6 km (about 3.7 miles or 20,000 feet). A terminal guidance system to reduce dependence on the operator. A warhead between 600 and 1200 grams (about 1.3 to 2.6 pounds). Ukrainian interceptor drones – STRILA and BUREWIY. STRILA can reach speeds of up to 350 km/h and destroy Russian Geran UAVs. BUREWIY is designed to shoot down Russia's Zala, Orlan and SuperCam ISR drones. — Samuel Bendett (@sambendett) June 24, 2025 Anti-Shahed interceptor drones developed by @wilendhornets and financed by the @sternenkofund. — Special Kherson Cat (@bayraktar_1love) July 20, 2025 'The bigger the target, the bigger the warhead needed for more precise detonation. Because you can hit a wing, but it will only tear it off and not destroy the target itself,' Olha Bihun, co-founder and CEO of Anvarix, a terminal guidance system developer, told Interceptor drones, CP added, 'could destroy a Shahed with either a direct hit or with a special warhead that explodes near the target, creating a cloud of debris.' FPV drones designed to intercept Shaheds are just a small fraction of the cost to fire surface-to-air missiles like a Patriot PAC-3 interceptor, which costs nearly $4 million a piece. Ukraine has also been using advanced National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) and Advanced Short-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (ASRAAM) against Shaheds as well, which cost many hundreds of thousands of dollars each. Gun systems and electronic warfare systems, as well as other SAM types and fighter aircraft have all played a role in defending against the onslaught of Shaheds. Iranian Shahed drone, intercepted mid-air by a Ukrainian the vision — layers of our interceptor drones in the sky. Ukrainian-built. Ukrainian-led. Shaheds won't slip through. Civilians won't live in need to beg for unstable 'aid.'We've got the brains,… — Bandera Fella *-^ (@banderafella) June 27, 2025 In addition to new, improved drones, Ukraine also needs more operators to defend against Shaheds. That's where Azov said it can help. 'Our unit's tactical approaches are shaped by the nature of today's drone threats — especially the enemy's large-scale nighttime attacks and use of asymmetric tactics,' Danyliuk told us. 'We apply non-standard detection techniques and preemptive measures, integrating traditional air defense assets with advanced technologies, including autonomous platforms and digital solutions.' Danyliuk declined to offer specifics, citing operational security concerns. However, Azov has acknowledged that it too will incorporate interceptor drones into its counter-drone program. 'Our strength lies in rapid adaptation, coordination with other defense components, and flexibility in implementing solutions enabling us to intercept threats before they reach their targets,' he explained. Following the techniques of Ukraine's mobile anti-drone fire units, Azov's teams are designed to be called in where needed. 'Our focus is on sectors experiencing heightened enemy strike UAV activity, particularly involving Shahed-type drones, as well as critical infrastructure facilities requiring additional protection,' Danyliuk noted. 'For reasons of security and operational effectiveness, the unit's deployment locations and routes of operations are not disclosed. Our core principle is mobility — the ability to rapidly shift between sectors within our designated area of responsibility.' 'Our forces will be deployed where they are most needed — swiftly, precisely, and without reliance on fixed positions,' he added As far as when these new units will be deployed, Danyliuk declined to provide a timeline. 'The decision to initiate operations will be made once the unit reaches the required level of technical and tactical readiness, in line with real-world frontline challenges,' he stated. Azov's counter-drone recruitment effort is one of several taking place in Ukraine. Last month, Ukraine's parliament unveiled a plan to recruit local volunteers to shoot down Russian drones. The new program offers up to 100,000 hryvnias (around $2,400) per month from local budgets. 'The project will recruit members of paramilitary units and volunteer territorial defense units who have the necessary drone operation skills or qualifications,' the Kyiv Post reported. 'They will be tasked with defending against Russian aerial threats, including detecting, tracking, and shooting down drones using UAVs, piloted aircraft, and personal weapons.' Another major concern is the infusion of AI into the Shahed-136 airframe, which is already underway. This will have massive repercussions we discussed in great detail a year and a half ago in this previous feature. Further information has been released regarding the downed Shahed-136s with imaging guidance and AI of materials and electronic components indicate Iranian camera is an analog thermal imager for both reconnaissance and terrain following.1/ — Roy (@GrandpaRoy2) June 28, 2025 The U.S. military-industrial complex is finally catching on to what Shahed-type drones can bring to the table, though far later than it should have. Last week, 18 American-made drone prototypes were put on display at the Pentagon. It was part of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's move to increase U.S. domestic drone production. Among them was one called the Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS) drone, a delta-winged weapon closely resembling a Shahed. We will have more on this U.S. development in an upcoming special feature, so stay tuned for that. But as it sits today, Ukraine has a major Shahed problem that is only growing at a time when traditional missile interceptors are becoming more scarce. The hope now is that additional drone units armed with many types of lower-end weaponry can help keep the growing hoards of Shaheds at bay. Contact the author: howard@ Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Yahoo
CSPD: Speed a factor in fatal motorcycle vs. vehicle crash
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) reported that a motorcycle and a vehicle crashed in the 2400 block of Bijou Street, at the intersection of Platte Place, killing one person on Friday, June 20. According to CSPD, when emergency personnel arrived at the location near North Union Boulevard, around 1 p.m. on Friday, they found that the motorcycle rider, who had been wearing a helmet at the time, had died at the scene. The driver of the car was taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. The initial investigation by the Major Crash Team indicated that the black motorcycle had been riding westbound on Bijou Street when it hit a white Nissan sedan that was exiting southbound off Platte Place. Witness accounts indicated that the motorcycle had been going at high speeds. The investigation is ongoing, according to CSPD. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
