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Cortez police officer shot, killed; 1 suspect dead, another arrested

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:27 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- A Cortez Police Department officer was killed Wednesday morning after suspects shot at him following a traffic stop, according to police. One of the suspects was also killed at a second location.Around 11:25 a.m., the officer initiated the traffic stop on South Broadway, according to the Cortez Police Department. Shots were fired, and the officer was injured. He was taken to a local hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox The suspects drove away but were quickly located in the 7500 block of U.S. Highway 160 and U.S. Highway 491.Additional shots were exchanged between the suspects and officers, police said. One of the suspects was arrested, while the other one was shot and killed.According to Cortez police, flags in the area were lowered to half-staff in support of the department.Gov. Jared Polis released a statement on the officer's passing, and declared that flags across the state will ...

Inmate who walked out of Jefferson County prison camp arrested after 12-week manhunt

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:27 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — An inmate who walked out of a Jefferson County prison camp in early September has been arrested in New Mexico. Edward Verdugo was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service, the agency said.Verdugo was discovered missing on Sept. 5 from a minimum security prison camp next to the Federal Correctional Institution Englewood. Federal prisoner’s escape was too easy, insiders say Sources told the FOX31 Problem Solvers he was found to have meth in his locker four days before his escape. The sources said Verdugo wasn’t moved to the secure housing unit and remained at the minimum security satellite camp. There, the sources said, he was able to access a golf cart and drive to the edge of the prison grounds, where he walked away.Verdugo had been sentenced by a federal judge in New Mexico to 109 months in federal prison for several charges, including conspiracy to distribute heroin, possession with intent to distribute heroin, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug...

1 killed in Wheat Ridge homicide

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:27 GMT

WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. (KDVR) -- One person was killed in a homicide that occurred Wednesday morning near 38th Avenue and Teller Street in Wheat Ridge.Police were called to the area after shots were heard around 11:19 a.m. A family member told FOX31 the victim was Peter Damien Arguello, who owned a nearby business.No suspect has been taken into custody yet, but police said there was no danger to the public.At approximately 4:43 p.m., Wheat Ridge police released photos of the suspect vehicle believed to be involved with the homicide. The vehicle is a red 2003-2007 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck.This red 2003-2007 Chevy Silverado is wanted in connection to a homicide in Wheat Ridge. (Wheat Ridge Police Department)This red 2003-2007 Chevy Silverado is wanted in connection to a homicide in Wheat Ridge. (Wheat Ridge Police Department)There are three schools located near the crime scene, but police said they did not feel it was necessary to put the schools on lockout or secure status based ...

Karen Garner, of Loveland police brutality case, dies at 76

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:27 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Karen Garner, a Loveland woman who was violently arrested in 2020 after she was accused of stealing from Walmart, has died at 76.A family spokesperson told FOX31 Wednesday that Garner died Monday from complications with dementia. She had family by her side and was able to say goodbye. Former cop involved in Karen Garner arrest could get out of prison early "Over the years, we’ve seen the tragedy of the Karen Garner case bring citizens of Loveland to call for justice and accountability in their community, including inspiring individuals to get more involved in their local government," the spokesperson wrote in a statement on behalf of Garner's three children and nine grandchildren.On June 26, 2020, Garner, who was 73 and suffering from dementia, was arrested. The circumstances around her arrest led to a civil rights lawsuit and a criminal investigation into the Loveland Police Department's use of force during the arrest.One of the officers involved, Austin Hopp, wa...

Biden targets Boebert as leader of ‘MAGA movement’ during Colorado tour

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:27 GMT

President Biden on Wednesday called out Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) during an appearance in her congressional district — marking a rare instance of Biden directly targeting what he often pegs as a “MAGA Republican” by name.While Biden has spent much of this year traveling to and fundraising in affluent, safe-blue enclaves during domestic travel, his tour of wind tower manufacturer CS Wind in Pueblo, Colo., part of the state’s massive 3rd Congressional District that Boebert represents, gave a potential glimpse into his general election strategy.It is the type of stop the president is likely to make more frequently as the campaign season heats up in 2024 and as he seeks to contrast himself with the Trump wing of the GOP, particularly when it comes to his economic agenda.Despite polls indicating Americans are not feeling the impacts of an improving economy, the president has argued his plan, Bidenomics, is working, and the proof is in the low unemployment rate and job creation.The Wh...

Monarch High students stage 2nd walkout protesting principal, staff reassignments over transgender athlete

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:27 GMT

For a second day in a row, some students at a Broward County school walked out of their classrooms in support of their principal and four other staff members who have been reassigned while officials investigate allegations revolving around a transgender student.7News cameras captured students at Monarch High School in Coconut Creek after they assembled on a sports field, Wednesday afternoon.“I think it’s pretty, like, messed up that, like, our principal is just trying to do the right thing,” said student Sofia Rodriguez.Students voiced their support for their principal, James Cecil, as well as assistant principal Kenneth May, athletic director Dione Hester, information management technician Jessica Norton and temporary athletic coach Alex Burgess. Cecil, May and Hester have been reassigned after the district learned that a transgender student born male was allowed to play on the girls’ volleyball team.As for Burgess, he was informed his services are paused wh...

“Goodbye, High”

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:27 GMT

The large High Pressure area that recently contributed to our cooling is heading away. It didn’t last long for south Florida (just a couple of nights and days with below average temperatures). The cool spell peaked Wednesday morning with widespread temperatures in the 50ºs. It’s worth noting that it made for the coolest air we’ve had (in Miami-Dade and Broward County) since last March!Thursday will involve comfortable conditions. Winds will veer off the ocean (no longer from the cool north) and it will feel quite pleasant. Many areas will even see afternoon temperatures reach 80-degrees or slightly higher. If you’re spending time near the coast, that’s where you can expect a stronger east breeze up to 15 mph.The next weather change arrives over the weekend with added warmth. Highs are forecast to rise into the middle 80ºs and it’s going to feel more humid, too. These temperature readings will be within a couple degrees of record highs, by t...

Crash on I-95 in North Miami-Dade causing traffic delays; 2 injured

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:27 GMT

A crash along Interstate 95 in North Miami-Dade left two people injured and is causing extensive traffic delays in the middle of rush hour.Florida Highway Patrol and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded to the scene of the crash along the northbound lanes, just north of Ives Dairy Road, just before 6 p.m., Wednesday.7Skyfirce hovered above the scene as paramedics rendered aid to the occupants of the vehicle involved.The call initially came in as a single-vehicle accident with the ejection of two people, but that was not the case.The victims were able to crawl out of the vehicle after impact.Officials said a male victim is being transported to Aventura Hospital as a trauma alert.Troopers have shut down several northbound lanes as crews rendered aid to the victims and continue to investigate.Officials advise drivers to avoid the area and seek alternate routes.Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.

Network manager pleads guilty to cyberattack against Whittier Tech after termination

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:27 GMT

An Ayer man agreed to plead guilty Wednesday to charges stemming from a June 2023 cyberattack targeting the computer network of his former employer, Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School.Conor LaHiff, 30, was charged with one count of unauthorized damage to protected computers and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.LaHiff was employed as a desktop and network manager at Whittier Tech until he was terminated in June 2023. After he was fired, LaHiff allegedly used his administrative privileges to deactivate and delete thousands of Apple IDs from the school’s Apple School Manager account – software used to manage student, faculty and staff information technology resources. LaHiff also allegedly deactivated more than 1,400 other Apple accounts and other IT administrative accounts and disabled the school’s private branch phone system, which left the school’s phone service unavailable for approximately 24 hours.The charge of unauthorized damage to protecte...

Zappe, Cunningham — not Mac Jones — get snaps in open part of Patriots practice

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:27 GMT

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Quarterback Bailey Zappe and practice squad rookie Malik Cunningham took snaps in the portion of the New England Patriots practice that media were allowed to watch on Wednesday.Starter Mac Jones and third-stringer Will Grier, who was cut and re-signed in the past week, did not get any reps with reporters watching. Zappe and Jones both declined to speak to reporters.“(Zappe) looked good,” receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster said. “Him going out there, moving the chains, throwing the ball. He looked good.”Jones was benched — for the fourth time this season — in a 10-7 loss to the New York Giants on Sunday.“I’m not going to make any announcements on our lineup at any position,” coach Bill Belichick said. “It doesn’t matter what the position is. We’ll see how practice goes, see if everybody is ready to go. Hopefully everybody is ready to go, see what the injury situation is, and we’ll go with who we think is best on Sunday.”Also Wednesday, Demario Douglas was listed on...