Gunman in Douglas County sheriff ambush posted anti-police rants online

The man accused of killing a Douglas County deputy and wounding four more officers and two civilians is a former lawyer who recently had become enraged at police officers.

The Douglas County coroner identified the shooter as Matthew Riehl, 37, according to a tweet from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. Riehl was killed in a shootout with SWAT officers.

During an afternoon news conference, Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock said the suspect was familiar to law enforcement but did not have a criminal record.

Riehl began posting videos on YouTube in November expressing anger at Lone Tree Police Department officers, particularly one officer who appeared to have pulled him over in a traffic stop.

The week before Christmas, Riehl posted a video of himself wearing an Iraqi Freedom Veteran cap where he announced he was running as a libertarian for Douglas County sheriff. He then went on a rambling rant about a specific deputy he accused of being a pimp, and he called Spurlock a clown. He did not threaten violence.

In another video about Dodge vehicles, Riehl accuses “fake LEO,” an acronym for law enforcement officers, of following people in stolen Dodge cars.

Riehl also had posted dozens of videos of himself playing video games and one of himself playing with a yo-yo.

Riehl was an Army veteran and had worked at some point as a lawyer in Rawlins, Wyo.

A spokeswoman with the National Guard confirmed to Denver7 that Riehl entered the Army Reserves in 2003 and served in the Wyoming National Guard starting in 2006. The spokeswoman said Riehl was deployed to Iraq in 2009 and was honorably discharged in 2012.

It appears most of Riehl’s legal career was spent in Wyoming.

At one point he worked with Macpherson Kelly & Thompson, but in 2014 he opened his own practice, according to a notice from the Rawlins-Carbon County Chamber of Commerce in Rawlins, Wyo.

Riehl, as a legal intern, worked with the state of Wyoming on a case involving the appeal of a defendant named Blake Leavitt. Police in Alton, Wyo., in 2009 responded to reports of a man spinning his tires and then began a high-speed chase. The court found Leavitt attempted to run over an officer when his car was cornered. Riehl worked on the team representing the state of Wyoming, according to the website FindLaw.

Another case he assisted with while an attorney at MacPherson Kelly & Thompson involved a general contractor who sued the town of Baggs, Wyo., over whether a payment was a “final payment.” Riehl was on the losing side in that civil case, FindLaw said.

Douglas County Deputy and former Castle Rock Police Department Officer Zackari Parrish, fatally wounded on December 31, 2017 at the Copper Canyon Apartment complex in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Four other officers and 3 civilians were wounded. Photo provided by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.
Douglas County Deputy and former Castle Rock Police Department Officer Zackari Parrish, fatally wounded on December 31, 2017 at the Copper Canyon Apartment complex in Highlands Ranch, Colorado with his family. Four other officers and 3 civilians were wounded. Photo provided by GoFundMe
Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Doyle, 28, was wounded in the shooting.
Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeff Pelle, 32, was wounded in the shooting.
Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputy Taylor Davis, 30, was wounded in the shooting.
Castle Rock Police Department SWAT Officer Thomas O’Donnell, 41, was wounded in the shooting.
John Leyba, The Denver Post
Police officers line up their patrol cars outside of Littleton Adventist Hospital for a procession honoring an officer who was fatally wounded in a domestic incident in a Highlands Ranch apartment complex on Sunday, Dec. 31st 2017. Four other police officers and 2 civilians were wounded.
John Leyba, The Denver Post
Police officers line up their patrol cars outside of Littleton Adventist Hospital for a procession honoring an officer who was fatally wounded in a domestic incident in a Highlands Ranch apartment complex on Sunday, Dec. 31st 2017. Four other police officers and 2 civilians were wounded.
John Leyba, The Denver Post
Police officers line up their patrol cars outside of Littleton Adventist Hospital for a procession honoring an officer who was fatally wounded in a domestic incident in a Highlands Ranch apartment complex on Sunday, Dec. 31st 2017. Four other police officers and 2 civilians were wounded.
John Leyba, The Denver Post
A procession of police officers and a hearse make their way down the highway outside of Littleton Adventist Hospital honoring an officer who was fatally wounded in a domestic incident in a Highlands Ranch apartment complex on Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017. Four other police officers and 2 civilians were wounded.
John Leyba, The Denver Post
Police officers line up their patrol cars outside of Littleton Adventist Hospital for a procession honoring an officer who was fatally wounded in a domestic incident in a Highlands Ranch apartment complex on Sunday, Dec. 31st 2017. Four other police officers and 2 civilians were wounded.
John Leyba, The Denver Post
Emergency personal and police officers at Littleton Adventist Hospital following a domestic incident in a Highlands Ranch apartment complex on Sunday, Dec. 31st 2017 that fatally wounded one police officer and wounded four other officers and two civilians.
John Leyba, The Denver Post
The scene from the parking lot of an area AMF Bowling Alley as multiple deputies are down in Douglas County on Sunday, December 31, 2017.
HIGHLANDS RANCH, CO--DECEMBER 31: Police officers investigate the scene of an alleged ambush where one deputy was killed and four other wounded along with two civilians at the Copper Canyon Apartment complex in Highlands Ranch, CO. (Photo by David Migoya/The Denver Post)
David Migoya, The Denver Post
Police officers investigate the scene of an alleged ambush where one deputy was killed and four other wounded along with two civilians at the Copper Canyon Apartment complex in Highlands Ranch, CO.
David Migoya, The Denver Post
Police officers investigate the scene of an alleged ambush where one deputy was killed and four other wounded along with two civilians at the Copper Canyon Apartment complex in Highlands Ranch, CO.
HIGHLANDS RANCH, CO--DECEMBER 31: Police officers investigate the scene of an alleged ambush where one deputy was killed and four other wounded along with two civilians at the Copper Canyon Apartment complex in Highlands Ranch, CO. (Photo by David Migoya/The Denver Post)
HIGHLANDS RANCH, CO--DECEMBER 31: Police officers investigate the scene of an alleged ambush where one deputy was killed and four other wounded along with two civilians at the Copper Canyon Apartment complex in Highlands Ranch, CO. (Photo by David Migoya/The Denver Post)
HIGHLANDS RANCH, CO--DECEMBER 31: Police officers investigate the scene of an alleged ambush where one deputy was killed and four other wounded along with two civilians at the Copper Canyon Apartment complex in Highlands Ranch, CO. (Photo by David Migoya/The Denver Post)
DENVER, CO - DECEMBER 31: A gunman killed one Douglas County deputy and wounded four others during an early morning ambush as they responded to a domestic disturbance call at a Highlands Ranch apartment complex. December 31, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Joe Amon/The Denver Post)
DENVER, CO - DECEMBER 31: A gunman killed one Douglas County deputy and wounded four others during an early morning ambush as they responded to a domestic disturbance call at a Highlands Ranch apartment complex. December 31, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Joe Amon/The Denver Post)
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post
Police investigate the scene of an early morning shootout that led to the death of a Douglas County sheriff deputy on Dec. 31, 2017 in Highlands Ranch. Deputy Zackari Parrish, 29, was killed and four other deputies were wounded in what police described as an ambush when deputies responded to a domestic disturbance at Copper Canyon Apartment complex at 3401 E. County Line Road. The gunman used a rifle and fired at least 100 rounds at the deputies. The gunman was killed in the shootout with law enforcement officers. Parrish is survived by a wife and two children. He had been a deputy for only 7 months. The other injured officers are Dep. Mike Doyle, 28, Dep. Taylor Davis, 30 and Dep. Jeffrey Pelle, 32. Castle Rock police officer Tom O'Donnell, 41 was also injured. All are listed as stable at area hospitals.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post
Police investigate the scene of an early morning shootout that led to the death of a Douglas County sheriff deputy on Dec. 31, 2017 in Highlands Ranch. Deputy Zackari Parrish, 29, was killed and four other deputies were wounded in what police described as an ambush when deputies responded to a domestic disturbance at Copper Canyon Apartment complex at 3401 E. County Line Road. The gunman used a rifle and fired at least 100 rounds at the deputies. The gunman was killed in the shootout with law enforcement officers. Parrish is survived by a wife and two children. He had been a deputy for only 7 months. The other injured officers are Dep. Mike Doyle, 28, Dep. Taylor Davis, 30 and Dep. Jeffrey Pelle, 32. Castle Rock police officer Tom O'Donnell, 41 was also injured. All are listed as stable at area hospitals.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post
Police investigate the scene of an early morning shootout that led to the death of a Douglas County sheriff deputy on Dec. 31, 2017 in Highlands Ranch. Deputy Zackari Parrish, 29, was killed and four other deputies were wounded in what police described as an ambush when deputies responded to a domestic disturbance at Copper Canyon Apartment complex at 3401 E. County Line Road. The gunman used a rifle and fired at least 100 rounds at the deputies. The gunman was killed in the shootout with law enforcement officers. Parrish is survived by a wife and two children. He had been a deputy for only 7 months. The other injured officers are Dep. Mike Doyle, 28, Dep. Taylor Davis, 30 and Dep. Jeffrey Pelle, 32. Castle Rock police officer Tom O'Donnell, 41 was also injured. All are listed as stable at area hospitals.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post
Police investigate the scene of an early morning shootout that led to the death of a Douglas County sheriff deputy on Dec. 31, 2017 in Highlands Ranch. Deputy Zackari Parrish, 29, was killed and four other deputies were wounded in what police described as an ambush when deputies responded to a domestic disturbance at Copper Canyon Apartment complex at 3401 E. County Line Road. The gunman used a rifle and fired at least 100 rounds at the deputies. The gunman was killed in the shootout with law enforcement officers. Parrish is survived by a wife and two children. He had been a deputy for only 7 months. The other injured officers are Dep. Mike Doyle, 28, Dep. Taylor Davis, 30 and Dep. Jeffrey Pelle, 32. Castle Rock police officer Tom O'Donnell, 41 was also injured. All are listed as stable at area hospitals.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post
Police investigate the scene of an early morning shootout that led to the death of a Douglas County sheriff deputy on Dec. 31, 2017 in Highlands Ranch. Deputy Zackari Parrish, 29, was killed and four other deputies were wounded in what police described as an ambush when deputies responded to a domestic disturbance at Copper Canyon Apartment complex at 3401 E. County Line Road. The gunman used a rifle and fired at least 100 rounds at the deputies. The gunman was killed in the shootout with law enforcement officers. Parrish is survived by a wife and two children. He had been a deputy for only 7 months. The other injured officers are Dep. Mike Doyle, 28, Dep. Taylor Davis, 30 and Dep. Jeffrey Pelle, 32. Castle Rock police officer Tom O'Donnell, 41 was also injured. All are listed as stable at area hospitals.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post
Police investigate the scene of an early morning shootout that led to the death of a Douglas County sheriff deputy on Dec. 31, 2017 in Highlands Ranch. Deputy Zackari Parrish, 29, was killed and four other deputies were wounded in what police described as an ambush when deputies responded to a domestic disturbance at Copper Canyon Apartment complex at 3401 E. County Line Road. The gunman used a rifle and fired at least 100 rounds at the deputies. The gunman was killed in the shootout with law enforcement officers. Parrish is survived by a wife and two children. He had been a deputy for only 7 months. The other injured officers are Dep. Mike Doyle, 28, Dep. Taylor Davis, 30 and Dep. Jeffrey Pelle, 32. Castle Rock police officer Tom O'Donnell, 41 was also injured. All are listed as stable at area hospitals.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post
Police investigate the scene of an early morning shootout that led to the death of a Douglas County sheriff deputy on Dec. 31, 2017 in Highlands Ranch. Deputy Zackari Parrish, 29, was killed and four other deputies were wounded in what police described as an ambush when deputies responded to a domestic disturbance at Copper Canyon Apartment complex at 3401 E. County Line Road. The gunman used a rifle and fired at least 100 rounds at the deputies. The gunman was killed in the shootout with law enforcement officers. Parrish is survived by a wife and two children. He had been a deputy for only 7 months. The other injured officers are Dep. Mike Doyle, 28, Dep. Taylor Davis, 30 and Dep. Jeffrey Pelle, 32. Castle Rock police officer Tom O'Donnell, 41 was also injured. All are listed as stable at area hospitals.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post
Police investigate the scene of an early morning shootout that led to the death of a Douglas County sheriff deputy on Dec. 31, 2017 in Highlands Ranch. Deputy Zackari Parrish, 29, was killed and four other deputies were wounded in what police described as an ambush when deputies responded to a domestic disturbance at Copper Canyon Apartment complex at 3401 E. County Line Road. The gunman used a rifle and fired at least 100 rounds at the deputies. The gunman was killed in the shootout with law enforcement officers. Parrish is survived by a wife and two children. He had been a deputy for only 7 months. The other injured officers are Dep. Mike Doyle, 28, Dep. Taylor Davis, 30 and Dep. Jeffrey Pelle, 32. Castle Rock police officer Tom O'Donnell, 41 was also injured. All are listed as stable at area hospitals.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post
Police investigate the scene of an early morning shootout that led to the death of a Douglas County sheriff deputy on Dec. 31, 2017 in Highlands Ranch. Deputy Zackari Parrish, 29, was killed and four other deputies were wounded in what police described as an ambush when deputies responded to a domestic disturbance at Copper Canyon Apartment complex at 3401 E. County Line Road. The gunman used a rifle and fired at least 100 rounds at the deputies. The gunman was killed in the shootout with law enforcement officers. Parrish is survived by a wife and two children. He had been a deputy for only 7 months. The other injured officers are Dep. Mike Doyle, 28, Dep. Taylor Davis, 30 and Dep. Jeffrey Pelle, 32. Castle Rock police officer Tom O'Donnell, 41 was also injured. All are listed as stable at area hospitals.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post
Police investigate the scene of an early morning shootout that led to the death of a Douglas County sheriff deputy on Dec. 31, 2017 in Highlands Ranch. Deputy Zackari Parrish, 29, was killed and four other deputies were wounded in what police described as an ambush when deputies responded to a domestic disturbance at Copper Canyon Apartment complex at 3401 E. County Line Road. The gunman used a rifle and fired at least 100 rounds at the deputies. The gunman was killed in the shootout with law enforcement officers. Parrish is survived by a wife and two children. He had been a deputy for only 7 months. The other injured officers are Dep. Mike Doyle, 28, Dep. Taylor Davis, 30 and Dep. Jeffrey Pelle, 32. Castle Rock police officer Tom O'Donnell, 41 was also injured. All are listed as stable at area hospitals.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post
Police investigate the scene of an early morning shootout that led to the death of a Douglas County sheriff deputy on Dec. 31, 2017 in Highlands Ranch. Deputy Zackari Parrish, 29, was killed and four other deputies were wounded in what police described as an ambush when deputies responded to a domestic disturbance at Copper Canyon Apartment complex at 3401 E. County Line Road. The gunman used a rifle and fired at least 100 rounds at the deputies. The gunman was killed in the shootout with law enforcement officers. Parrish is survived by a wife and two children. He had been a deputy for only 7 months. The other injured officers are Dep. Mike Doyle, 28, Dep. Taylor Davis, 30 and Dep. Jeffrey Pelle, 32. Castle Rock police officer Tom O'Donnell, 41 was also injured. All are listed as stable at area hospitals.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post
A tow truck driver secures the suspect's vehicle to his truck as police continue to investigate the scene of an early morning shootout that led to the death of a Douglas County sheriff deputy on Dec. 31, 2017 in Highlands Ranch. Deputy Zackari Parrish, 29, was killed and four other deputies were wounded in what police described as an ambush when deputies responded to a domestic disturbance at Copper Canyon Apartment complex at 3401 E. County Line Road. The gunman used a rifle and fired at least 100 rounds at the deputies. The gunman was killed in the shootout with law enforcement officers. Parrish is survived by a wife and two children. He had been a deputy for only 7 months. The other injured officers are Dep. Mike Doyle, 28, Dep. Taylor Davis, 30 and Dep. Jeffrey Pelle, 32. Castle Rock police officer Tom O'Donnell, 41 was also injured. All are listed as stable at area hospitals.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post
A tow truck driver secures the suspect's vehicle to his truck as police continue to investigate the scene of an early morning shootout that led to the death of a Douglas County sheriff deputy on Dec. 31, 2017 in Highlands Ranch. Deputy Zackari Parrish, 29, was killed and four other deputies were wounded in what police described as an ambush when deputies responded to a domestic disturbance at Copper Canyon Apartment complex at 3401 E. County Line Road. The gunman used a rifle and fired at least 100 rounds at the deputies. The gunman was killed in the shootout with law enforcement officers. Parrish is survived by a wife and two children. He had been a deputy for only 7 months. The other injured officers are Dep. Mike Doyle, 28, Dep. Taylor Davis, 30 and Dep. Jeffrey Pelle, 32. Castle Rock police officer Tom O'Donnell, 41 was also injured. All are listed as stable at area hospitals.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post
Police investigate the scene of an early morning shootout that led to the death of a Douglas County sheriff deputy on Dec. 31, 2017 in Highlands Ranch. Deputy Zackari Parrish, 29, was killed and four other deputies were wounded in what police described as an ambush when deputies responded to a domestic disturbance at Copper Canyon Apartment complex at 3401 E. County Line Road. The gunman used a rifle and fired at least 100 rounds at the deputies. The gunman was killed in the shootout with law enforcement officers. Parrish is survived by a wife and two children. He had been a deputy for only 7 months. The other injured officers are Dep. Mike Doyle, 28, Dep. Taylor Davis, 30 and Dep. Jeffrey Pelle, 32. Castle Rock police officer Tom O'Donnell, 41 was also injured. All are listed as stable at area hospitals.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post
Sheriff deputies put up police tape around the scene of an early morning shootout that led to the death of a Douglas County sheriff deputy on Dec. 31, 2017 in Highlands Ranch. Deputy Zackari Parrish, 29, was killed and four other deputies were wounded in what police described as an ambush when deputies responded to a domestic disturbance at Copper Canyon Apartment complex at 3401 E. County Line Road. The gunman used a rifle and fired at least 100 rounds at the deputies. The gunman was killed in the shootout with law enforcement officers. Parrish is survived by a wife and two children. He had been a deputy for only 7 months. The other injured officers are Dep. Mike Doyle, 28, Dep. Taylor Davis, 30 and Dep. Jeffrey Pelle, 32. Castle Rock police officer Tom O'Donnell, 41 was also injured. All are listed as stable at area hospitals.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post
Sheriff deputies put up police tape around the scene of an early morning shootout that led to the death of a Douglas County sheriff deputy on Dec. 31, 2017 in Highlands Ranch. Deputy Zackari Parrish, 29, was killed and four other deputies were wounded in what police described as an ambush when deputies responded to a domestic disturbance at Copper Canyon Apartment complex at 3401 E. County Line Road. The gunman used a rifle and fired at least 100 rounds at the deputies. The gunman was killed in the shootout with law enforcement officers. Parrish is survived by a wife and two children. He had been a deputy for only 7 months. The other injured officers are Dep. Mike Doyle, 28, Dep. Taylor Davis, 30 and Dep. Jeffrey Pelle, 32. Castle Rock police officer Tom O'Donnell, 41 was also injured. All are listed as stable at area hospitals.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post
Sheriff deputies put up police tape around the scene of an early morning shootout that led to the death of a Douglas County sheriff deputy on Dec. 31, 2017 in Highlands Ranch. Deputy Zackari Parrish, 29, was killed and four other deputies were wounded in what police described as an ambush when deputies responded to a domestic disturbance at Copper Canyon Apartment complex at 3401 E. County Line Road. The gunman used a rifle and fired at least 100 rounds at the deputies. The gunman was killed in the shootout with law enforcement officers. Parrish is survived by a wife and two children. He had been a deputy for only 7 months. The other injured officers are Dep. Mike Doyle, 28, Dep. Taylor Davis, 30 and Dep. Jeffrey Pelle, 32. Castle Rock police officer Tom O'Donnell, 41 was also injured. All are listed as stable at area hospitals.

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Gunman in Douglas County sheriff ambush posted…

Gunman in Douglas County sheriff ambush posted anti-police rants online

Matthew Riehl, 37, was a former soldier and lawyer in Wyoming

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