Colorado man facing multiple charges in alleged deputy ramming attempt
A Colorado man is facing five charges after being released from the hospital. Police say he fled from a Larimer County Sheriff's Deputy and then tried to ram the deputy early Sunday morning.
That deputy shot at the man and missed, but the man was later taken into custody. The suspect was identified on Monday as 35-year-old Matthew David Wright. Fort Collins Police Services, which is investigating the shooting along with the Eighth Judicial District Critical Incident Review Team, says the deputy was taken to the hospital for evaluation but was unharmed and later released.
There was another person in the car with Wright, but they were uninjured. They have not been identified, and it's unclear if they're facing any charges.
Wright, however, was taken to the hospital and, when released, booked into the Larimer County Jail on $35,000 bond on the following charges:
- Vehicular eluding, a class 5 felony
- Attempted third-degree assault, a class 2 misdemeanor
- Reckless driving, a class 2 misdemeanor
- Speeding - 40+ mph over the speed limit, a class 2 traffic misdemeanor
- Driving on a suspended license, a traffic infraction
Fort Collins police say Wright could face additional charges by the Larimer County District Attorney's Office at a later time.
Court records show he has not yet retained or been assigned an attorney. He's due back in court on Nov. 25.
In 2011, he pleaded guilty to driving without a license in Longmont, and in 2020, he pleaded guilty to the same charge in Loveland. In 2019, he pleaded guilty to driving under the influence in Larimer County. He was also charged with attempted assault on a law enforcement officer in that case, but that charge was dismissed after successful completion of a program, the details of which weren't available in court records. And in 2018, he pleaded guilty to domestic violence harassment - strike/shove/kick in Jefferson County.
