Christine Lewis Obituary, Death: Authorities release name of armed woman fatally shot by Clear Creek County deputies.
Christine Lewis Obituary, Death – The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has identified the woman who was fatally shot by three Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office deputies. Christine Lewis, 36, was pronounced dead at a hospital in the Denver metro area after sustaining life-threatening injuries.
According to officials, the incident began when Empire police attempted a high-risk arrest of a suspect with a felony warrant from Oklahoma. The Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office was called for assistance. The suspect, now identified as Lewis, was wanted for illegal possession of a firearm.
Law enforcement initially encountered Lewis inside a parked vehicle in an empty lot at Empire Junction, near the intersection of Highway 40 and the westbound off-ramp of Interstate 70. When officers ordered her to exit the vehicle, she instead drove away westbound on Junction Loop Road.
Lewis eventually crashed on a curve along County Road 306, with her vehicle ending up in a brushy area near Clear Creek. Authorities stated that she remained armed and refused to comply with orders to surrender.
Deputies attempted to use non-lethal methods to get Lewis to leave her vehicle. When she finally exited, she allegedly pointed her firearm at law enforcement officers.
She then moved onto a bridge over Clear Creek while still holding her weapon. Officers continued to use non-lethal tactics to de-escalate the situation. However, authorities reported that Lewis again raised her firearm and aimed it directly at the deputies, prompting three of them to fire their weapons.
CBI is now leading the investigation into the shooting. The deputies involved have been placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard procedure following officer-involved shootings.
