JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — A law enforcement shooting in the parking lot of an Evergreen Walmart ended in a crash on Interstate 70 that shut down all eastbound lanes at Lookout Mountain.
Mark Techmeyer, director of public affairs for the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, said the "convoluted situation" began with a stolen Ford F-150 out of Summit County. The owner was tracking the truck and working with the Summit County Sheriff's Office.
At some point on Thursday, the truck stopped at a Maverik gas station in Clear Creek County. Deputies with the county's sheriff's office got involved and tracked the stolen truck to the Walmart in Evergreen just before 5 p.m.
Personnel with the Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and Colorado State Patrol set up in the Walmart parking lot in order to recover the vehicle.
The driver of the stolen truck reportedly parked, went inside the Walmart, and came back to the vehicle. According to Techmeyer, the suspect started to drive out of the parking lot when Clear Creek deputies and CSP "lit him up in the parking lot," meaning they turned on their emergency lights and tried to conduct a traffic stop.
The driver reportedly sped up and rammed the law enforcement vehicles. They then backed up and rammed the vehicles "several times," according to the sheriff's office spokesperson.
Media briefing on Evergreen Walmart shooting. https://t.co/hwYLa5y2VC
— Jeffco Sheriff (@jeffcosheriffco) September 12, 2025
The CSP trooper got out of their cruiser and fired several shots at the driver and the stolen vehicle, according to Techmeyer. No one was hit.
It is unclear if the driver had a weapon or fired shots at law enforcement.
At one point, CSP said the suspect rammed the stolen vehicle into the CSP cruiser's driver's side door, causing the door to strike a trooper in the face.
The driver eventually took off, and "the chase was on," Techmeyer said.
The driver went on eastbound Highway 74 before merging onto eastbound I-70. CSP said the trooper who was struck in the face performed a tactical vehicle intervention (TVI) on the stolen truck, causing the driver to crash out near milepost 259. The truck ended up in the emergency truck pull-off area, according to Techmeyer.
The driver suffered injuries from the "ramming" and the crash, Techmeyer said, and was taken to the hospital. The injured trooper was also taken to the hospital.
Even though the truck was off the road, Techmeyer said law enforcement shut down all eastbound lanes of I-70 because a box marked hazardous for radioactive material was found in the back of the truck. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Bomb Squad responded to the scene and determined that the box contained a tool that had radioactive material in it. The tool cannot be moved until the vendor comes out and retrieves it, according to Techmeyer.
Eastbound I-70 closed at Lookout Mountain for several hours Thursday. The roadway appeared to have reopened around 1 a..m. Friday.
The First Judicial Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) was activated and will investigate the trooper shooting, while CSP will lead the criminal investigation.
This incident comes one day after a student opened fire at Evergreen High School, critically wounding two of his peers before turning the gun on himself. The shooter died from his self-inflicted injury.
"It's a lot for this small, tight-knit community in a very small timeframe," Techmeyer said.
Community members and law enforcement were at a vigil when Thursday's trooper shooting took place. Techmeyer said the law enforcement presence at the vigil may have contributed to the quick response to the Walmart.
"The bell rings and we come running," he said.
The suspect was identified Sunday as Tyler J. Young, 33, of Lakewood. He was booked into the Jefferson County Jail on the following charges:
- One count of 2nd Degree Assault (Felony Offense)
- One count of Attempted 2nd Degree Assault (Felony Offense)
- One count of Motor Vehicle Theft (Felony Offense)
- One count of Felony Eluding
- One count of Reckless Driving (Misdemeanor Offense)
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what's right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.
