He 'was coming at me with a knife': Fatal officer-involved shooting in Colorado Springs ruled justified
(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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
What Happened to Pamela Butler? Inside the 2009 Murder Case That Linked Her Boyfriend to Another Woman's Death
Pamela Butler was dating Jose Rodriguez-Cruz at the time of her disappearanceNEED TO KNOW Pamela Butler was a federal employee who vanished in February 2009 Her disappearance would eventually be linked to another woman named Marta Rodriguez-Cruz, who went missing in May 1989 Both had been romantically involved with Jose Rodriguez-CruzPamela Butler vanished from her Washington, D.C. home and years later, Jose Rodriguez-Cruz, whom Pamela was dating at the time, would confess to murdering her. Pamela's disappearance was the focus of the 2022 Dateline episode, "A Haunting Stretch of Road," which NBC re-aired on Aug. 2 at 9 p.m. ET. On Feb. 12, 2009, Pamela, a federal worker, came home from work, walked into her house and was never heard from again. The investigation would eventually end up being linked to another woman who had also gone missing two decades earlier. "There was a very big void when Pam went missing," Pamela's friend, Rita Moss, told Dateline. So what happened to Pamela Butler? Here's everything to know about the 2009 murder and how it was connected to Marta Rodriguez-Cruz's 1989 death through Jose Rodriguez-Cruz. Who was Pamela Butler? Pamela was a 47-year-old federal employee of the United States Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C., where she worked as a computer analyst. On Valentine's Day in 2009, Pamela had plans to pick up her mother, Thelma, for dinner, but she never showed. Jose was also supposed to join them, and when Thelma's calls went unanswered, Pamela's brother, Derrick, reassured her that they must have lost track of time. After not hearing from Pamela for days, her mom and nephew visited Pamela's house. Upon their arrival, they found mail piled up on the front porch and a suspicious scene inside, with papers and items thrown about — and Pamela nowhere to be found. At that point, Thelma realized her daughter had also missed work. Pamela's house was equipped with security cameras and motion detection lights, so if she had left her house, how would it not have been captured on video? This was just one of the many questions that stumped the police and Pamela's family. An investigation was opened, but in 2016, after years of dead ends, Pamela was declared legally dead. In the Dateline episode, Pamela's brother said his sister was "Just a lovely person, somebody that would go out of her way to help you." Who is Jose Rodriguez-Cruz? Jose Rodriguez-Cruz was Pamela's boyfriend at the time of her disappearance. According to Dateline, they had met on a dating website and had been together for five months when she went missing. Pamela and Jose shared similar government work backgrounds; he is a former military police officer who worked at a medical clinic. When Pamela's mother searched her home, Thelma noticed Jose had left messages on her answering machine asking where she was. Thelma also discovered that Jose wrote a message to Pamela and left it inside her home. Thelma later asked Derrick to contact Jose, and after doing so, Jose shared that he and Pamela had broken up and hadn't heard from her, Derrick recalled to Dateline. They then met in person, and Jose appeared upset over the news of Pamela's disappearance. But what her family didn't know was that Jose had a troubled past. Jose was previously married to Marta Rodriguez-Cruz, a nursing aid in her late 20s who went missing in May 1989 in Arlington, Va. Before she vanished, Marta had told police that Jose had physically and sexually assaulted her. That March, an Arlington County police officer witnessed Jose dragging her on a street, per The Washington Post. Jose was charged with abducting and assaulting her. As for a motive, he hinted toward jealousy. 'When asked by the investigator why he would commit such acts against his wife, Rodriguez-Cruz responded that 'if I can't have her, no one else will. She's mine,' ' he said, according to a statement obtained by The Washington Post. By the time she was due to testify against Jose in court, the mother-of-one never showed up, and the case was thrown out. Marta's roommate reported her missing one week later, Fox 5 DC reported. How did Pamela Butler die? Jose killed Pamela in her house on the night of Feb. 13, 2009. Per a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, she and Jose had an argument in the basement of Pamela's home. During their discussion, Pamela pointed out Jose's job and financial status and mentioned that there were no signs he was trying to improve either. At one point during the fight, Jose punched Pamela in the face. She fell to the floor, and Jose then strangled her to death. He then put Pamela's body in a trash bag and switched off the house's motion detector lights. Jose removed her body through a first-floor window that was not covered by the security cameras. After placing her in his car, he decided on a location to bury her. Over the next two days, he returned to Pamela's home to remove items, including her phone, which he disposed of. Were Pamela Butler's remains ever found? No, Pamela's remains have never been recovered. As part of the plea agreement he took, Jose told investigators where they could find Pamela's body. According to NBC Washington, Jose said he buried her in the median between the southbound and northbound lanes on I-95 in Stafford County, Va. Due to the construction on the highway over the years, including the expansion of express lanes, the area with Pamela's body had been paved over, making her remains "not recoverable," per WUSA9. How are Pamela Butler and Marta Rodriguez's disappearances related? After Pamela was declared legally dead in 2016, her disappearance was reopened as a cold case by Metropolitan Police Department detective Mike Fulton. He would eventually uncover Jose's past with Marta, eventually linking it to Pamela's. Marta had gone missing in Virginia in 1989, and while her remains were found two years later, her identity wouldn't be confirmed until 2018 using DNA. Both women were discovered in the same area of the highway where Jose said he had buried Pamela's body. Where is Jose Rodriguez-Cruz now? In October 2017, Jose pleaded guilty to a second-degree murder charge for Pamela's death. He was sentenced to 12 years in a federal prison, followed by five years of probation, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office's press release. Three years later, in November 2020, Jose pleaded guilty to first-degree murder for killing Marta in 1989. He was sentenced to an additional 40 years in prison. 'I want to see him serve life for the crimes that he committed,' Pamela's brother, Derrick, told reporters at Jose's hearing, via WTOP. Derrick added that even if Jose gets out of prison at 80, "he's still a violent criminal, and it's not going to change.' Read the original article on People
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
A Mail Carrier Was Caught on Camera Pepper-Spraying an Elderly Cat. When the Owner Confronted Him, He ‘Denied It'
The USPS employee swore at the cat multiple times before spraying it and leaving the scene, home security footage showsNEED TO KNOW A USPS mail carrier sprayed an elderly cat with what appeared to be pepper spray in California on July 28, and the incident was caught on camera After the owner confronted the mail carrier, he "denied" spraying the cat USPS is now investigating the incidentA mail carrier was caught on camera spraying an elderly cat with what appeared to be pepper spray — but he denied it. The carrier, a United States Postal Service (USPS) employee, was delivering mail in Rancho Cordova, Calif., on the evening of Monday, July 28, when Chris Commander's cat Xena was sitting outside of his home, as she often does, according to The Sacramento Bee. What the carrier did next shocked Commander, 35, to his core. Rather than pet the 15-year-old feline, as other postal carriers typically do, the man appeared to spray Xena with pepper spray — and the entire incident was caught on camera, with Commander watching live, according to the newspaper. The mail carrier backed away from the tortoiseshell cat, who was standing next to the pathway that leads up to the front door, and said, 'Get the f--- out of here,' the footage, obtained by The Sacramento Bee, shows. Then, despite no reaction from Xena, who was completely motionless, the carrier grabbed a spray bottle from his bag and proceeded to spray liquid at the cat. Xena then scurried across the pathway and away from the carrier, as he repeated, 'Get the f--- out of here,' and began to approach the door. He decided against it, however, instead leaving without dropping off the mail. (He left it on the hood of a car, Commander told The Sacramento Bee.) As the incident unfolded around 7 p.m. local time, Commander — an owner of two dogs and four cats — was sitting in his living room when he heard one of his dogs barking near his front door, he recalled to The Sacramento Bee. Curious, he decided to look at his Ring doorbell camera livestream, and proceeded to witness the mail carrier spray his oldest cat, seemingly unprovoked. The Rancho Cordova resident told the newspaper that he immediately got up to confront the USPS carrier, who was already in his vehicle. Despite evidence to the contrary, he denied spraying the cat. 'I asked him directly, 'Did you spray my cat?' He denied it. And then he said something about he's a cat lover himself,' Commander told The Sacramento Bee. Upon returning home, the proud pet owner found Xena covered in what he described to the newspaper as an oily, strong-smelling substance. He was worried that the spraying may have left the elderly cat with respiratory problems, particularly given her age, but she appeared unscathed and 'in good spirits,' he said. 'I didn't know I had to be worried about this,' Commander told The Sacramento Bee. 'I just can't understand how this even happened, to be honest.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. After his confrontation was met with denial, the concerned pet owner submitted a formal complaint to USPS. The institution is aware of the incident, which USPS spokesperson Meiko S. Patton said is currently under review in a statement obtained by The Sacramento Bee. 'The United States Postal Service holds its employees to high standards of conduct, and any actions that conflict with these values are taken seriously. We are currently reviewing this incident and will take appropriate action based on the results to ensure alignment with our commitment to integrity and professionalism," Patton said. While Xena is okay, her owner still wants answers. "I don't see why you'd spray a cat that just wanted to be pet," Commander told CBS News Sacramento. "It was just frustrating,' the owner added, 'and kind of sad to see that." Read the original article on People
Associated Press
20 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Senate confirms former Fox News host Pirro as top federal prosecutor for the nation's capital
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has confirmed former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro as the top federal prosecutor for the nation's capital, filling the post after President Donald Trump withdrew his controversial first pick, conservative activist Ed Martin Jr. Pirro, a former county prosecutor and elected judge, was confirmed 50-45. Before becoming the acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia in May, she co-hosted the Fox News show 'The Five' on weekday evenings, where she frequently interviewed Trump. Trump yanked Martin's nomination after a key Republican senator said he could not support him due to Martin's outspoken support for rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Martin now serves as the Justice Department's pardon attorney. In 2021, voting technology company Smartmatic USA sued Fox News, Pirro and others for spreading false claims that the company helped 'steal' the 2020 presidential election from Trump. The company's libel suit, filed in a New York state court, sought $2.7 billion from the defendants. Last month, Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously to send Pirro's nomination to the Senate floor after Democrats walked out to protest Emil Bove's nomination to become a federal appeals court judge. Pirro, a 1975 graduate of Albany Law School, has significantly more courtroom experience than Martin, who had never served as a prosecutor or tried a case before taking office in January. She was elected as a judge in New York's Westchester County Court in 1990 before serving three terms as the county's elected district attorney. In the final minutes of his first term as president, Trump issued a pardon to Pirro's ex-husband, Albert Pirro, who was convicted in 2000 on conspiracy and tax evasion charges.
