Deputy Sheriff Andrew Peery
Officer: El Paso County Sheriff's Office, Deputy Sheriff Andrew Peery
Date: 8/7/2022 Location: Widefield, CO FACTORS (1,2,4,5,7,15,19)
Perpetrator(s) Involved: John Paz
Criminal Activity History/Involved: None reported. / Yes, Paz had just murdered a woman.
Mental Illness: Yes, Paz committed suicide which is a key indicator of mental illness.
Substance Abuse History/Involved: Unknown. / None reported.
Race/Sex/Age: Latino/Male/33
What prompted the initial contact with the killer? At shortly after 5 p.m. on August 7, 2022, El Paso County Sheriff’s deputies and a Fountain police officer responded to multiple 911 calls of shots fired in a residential area.
Actions taken by subject toward police: Upon seeing the officers outside his house, John Paz immediately opened fire on them, fatally shooting Deputy Andrew Peery.
Reactions by the police: The officers returned fire at Paz and once additional personnel arrived, they secured Deputy Peery and had him transported to a hospital where tragically he died from his injuries. Officers observed a dead woman on the lawn outside of Paz’s house, and after getting a search warrant, they made entry into the house and found Paz dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
How murdered? Deputy Peery was ambushed upon responding to a 911 call of shots fired.
What could have been done differently for the officer to still be alive? As a SWAT officer, Deputy Peery was well-versed in tactics, showing the reality is officers must knowingly go into dangerous situations where they are at a disadvantage.
Would the officer have been justified to use deadly force before being murdered? NA, the officers were ambushed upon arrival and then were able to return fire.
Outcome for the cop-killer: Paz committed suicide while his house was surrounded by law enforcement officers.
Miscellaneous: Perhaps if the press were more interested into investigating his background, they might find Paz has a history of mental illness or criminal record in another state.
