Police Hunt 3 Cop Killers

Colorado authorities are pursuing several tips that may lead them to the suspects in a recent shootout that has been linked to a militia, reports CBS News Correspondent Jim Stewart.

The latest break comes even as the people of this small town are still mourning the loss of a local policeman.

Virtually everyone in Cortez, Colorado, turned out Wednesday to say goodbye to Officer Dale Claxton. Mourners puzzled over the attack that killed the veteran policeman and wounded two other officers last week.

Claxton died in a hail of assault rifle fire after he stopped three men driving a stolen truck. Police Chief Roy Lane said Claxton never had a chance to pull his own gun.

But what happened next is even more puzzling. First, the men raced to a nearby home and stole another truck at gunpoint. Then they doubled back on two deputies who were chasing them and wounded them. Finally the three men abandoned their truck in nearby hills.

They left behind two Chinese-made rifles, radios, ammunition, and a suspected explosive device before disappearing into the countryside.

Wednesday, investigators released the identities of the men, and local police sources say one of them, Alan Pilon, is believed to belong to the so-called "Four Corners" Militia. Police say the group has been active in the Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona juncture.

The search for the suspects has been joined by the FBI and ATF's Joint Terrorism Task Force -- because a police officer was slain and because of the possibility of militia involvement.
However, investigators are cautioning that they are far from ready to call the incident an act of anti-government terrorism at this point.

Reported by Jim Stewart
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