Suspect in police shootout is well known to cops

A man known to police in Colorado from a high-profile 2013 murder investigation ended up in a shootout and chase with officers in Colorado Springs.

The Colorado Springs Police Department said its officers were called to a business on Sierra Springs, near Academy Boulevard, Wednesday night around 8:45 p.m.

"The suspect fired multiple shots at the officers," police said. "CSPD officers returned fire."

The suspect managed to get into a car and drive off. Police said officers chased the man about three miles until he crashed into another car at the intersection of Ruskin and Whittier drives.

"Upon exiting his vehicle, CSPD officers fired additional rounds hitting the suspect," police said.

The suspect was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, police said.

That man was later identified at Thomas James Guolee.

Guolee was taken into custody in 2013 as a person of interest in the shooting death of Colorado prisons chief Tom Clements. Goulee later told our partners at the Denver Post that he knew nothing about the murder and that he had not talked to the murder suspect, Evan Ebel, since they were in prison together. However, police believed Goulee and another former inmate had contact with Ebel in the days before the murder.

At the time, Goulee said he was arrested on outstanding warrants unrelated to Clements' death. Records obtained by Denver7 show Goulee was arrested on a parole violation at the time.

Those records show Goulee has previous arrests for menacing, forgery, theft, fraud, assault and drug and weapons charges.

In the Wednesday night case, Goulee is being charged with Criminal Attempt First Degree Murder of a Police Officer, Criminal Attempt First Degree Burglary, Possession of a Weapon by a Previous Offender, Aggravated Motor Vehicle Theft and Vehicular Eluding, police said.

The officers were not hit in the Wednesday night shooting.

The Colorado Springs Police Department said the El Paso County Sheriff's Office will investigate the shooting. The officers involved in the shooting were put on routine administrative leave.