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Jury convicts man in ambush cop shooting

Jury convicts man in ambush cop shooting
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A jury has convicted a man of shooting and seriously wounding Lakewood police officers in an ambush.

The Denver Post reports 56-year-old Gordon Moench was convicted this week of 20 counts, the most serious of which were attempted first-degree murder and first-degree assault with a deadly weapon. He is scheduled to be sentenced June 23.

Moench is accused of shooting the officers on the night of July 5, 2014 as they responded to his home at 9740 W. Jewell Place.  Moench's wife, Audrey, had called 911 and asked police do to a welfare check on her husband.

According to court records, Moench was lying in wait for police in the bed of a pickup truck parked in his driveway. He was armed with a semiautomatic rifle with a 30-round magazine, a .44-caliber handgun and a shotgun.

Moench himself called 911.

According to the affidavit, a man identifying himself only as "Gordon" told the 911 call-taker "there is guy outside with a gun, ready to kill a bunch of people."

When the call-taker asked the caller where he was located, he replied, "I'm the guy with the gun."

Gordon said he had three guns -- "enough to hurt a lot of people." He even told the call-taker he was in his pickup truck, parked outside his home.

When officers arrived, Lakewood Police Agent Jonathan Key was struck in the arm and chest and was partially shielded by a bullet-resistant vest, police said. Police Agent Kimberly Collins was hit by a bullet that shattered her lower leg.

A third Lakewood officer shot Moench in the chest after police said the suspect raised a .44-caliber handgun toward the officer.

Read more about the case here.