By Shannon Lukens. (Photo courtesy Olivia Cordova.)
Those involved in the shooting last Friday at Cedar Mountain Trailer Park have been identified.
The name of the man who died is 27-year-old Jesus Fuentes Vega of Craig. Moffat County Coroner Jesse Arthurs said in a press release Tuesday that the cause of death is multiple gunshot wounds and the manner of death is homicide. That’s from an autopsy performed in Grand Junction. Results are pending on a toxicology report.
The officers involved are Nathan Baker with Craig Police and Patrol Deputy Connor Pogline with the Moffat County Sheriff’s Officer. Both are on paid administrative leave as is standard procedure for any officer-involved shooting. They will be on leave until the internal review is complete. That investigation is being led by the 14th Judicial District Critical Incident Team.
Press release from the Moffat County Coroner’s office; June 25, 2024.
Officer Involved Shooting – June 21st, 2024
The Moffat County Coroner’s Office is releasing the name of the victim who died as a result of the officer-involved shooting on Friday, June 21, 2024, at the Cedar Mountain Trailer Park in Craig.
The 27-year-old man, of Craig, has been identified as Jesus Fuentes Vega. An autopsy was performed at Community Hospital on June 24, 2024, in Grand Junction. The cause of death is multiple gunshot wounds and the manner of death is homicide.
A toxicological examination has been performed and the results are pending. The law enforcement agency overseeing this investigation is the 14th Judicial Critical Incidence Response Team, assisted by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. The Moffat County Coroner’s Office will not release any further information regarding this active investigation.
Homicide is a categorization of the manner of death. It is characterized as the act of one individual causing the death of another. Homicide is a broad term that encompasses both noncriminal and criminal acts. Jesse Arthurs, Moffat County Coroner
Press release from Craig Police Department and Moffat County Sheriff; June 25, 2024.
Officer and Deputy Involved in OIS Identified
The Craig Police Department and the Moffat County Sheriff’s Office are identifying the officer and deputy involved in the officer-involved shooting that occurred on Friday, June 21st, 2024. Both the officer and deputy discharged their duty weapons during the incident.
Craig Police Officer Nathan Baker has served as a Patrol Officer with the Craig Police Department for 19 months. Officer Baker has 17 years of total law enforcement experience previously being employed as a Deputy with the Moffat County Sheriff’s Office and a Police Officer with the town of Rangely Colorado.
Moffat County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Deputy Conner Pogline has served with the Moffat County Sheriff’s Office since 2022, graduating from Flatrock Law Enforcement Training Academy in December of 2023.
Officer Baker and Deputy Pogline have been placed on paid administrative leave, as per the standard procedure for any officer-involved shooting. This leave will remain in effect until the conclusion of an internal review, which is being conducted separately from the investigation led by the 14th Judicial District Critical Incident Team. The incident in question remains under investigation by the CIRT.
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Press release from June 22, 2024
Media Release — For Immediate Release
Date: June 22, 2024
CIRT ACTIVATED TO INVESTIGATE OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING
The Craig Police Department and the Moffat County Sheriff’s Office are jointly providing the following details on behalf of the 14th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) regarding an officer-involved shooting that took place on 06/21/24. This incident involved an officer from the Craig Police Department and a Deputy from the Moffat County Sheriff’s Office.
At approximately 9:40 p.m., the Craig Police Department and the Moffat County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a residence in the Cedar Mountain Trailer Park located at 925 W. 1st Street in Craig, on the report of a male with a handgun. Arriving on scene, the officer and deputy were confronted by a male subject brandishing a handgun. An officer-involved shooting occurred. Law enforcement personnel rendered medical aid to the male subject until paramedics arrived on scene. The suspect was transported to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. No further information will be released at this time.
It is important to note that this investigation is in its early phases, and this preliminary information is subject to change. Members of the 14th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team will continue to conduct interviews of witnesses and involved persons in this case over the coming days. Additional details will be released when appropriate, while being mindful of the ongoing investigation. The involved agencies are responsible for releasing the names of their involved officer/deputy. As is standard protocol with any officer-involved shooting, the involved officer and deputy have been placed on paid administrative leave.
An internal investigation will take place separate from the criminal investigation being conducted by the CIRT. This incident remains under investigation by the CIRT. All officer-involved shootings in Moffat County are investigated by the 14th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team, which is comprised of representatives of the Steamboat Police Department, Routt County Sheriff’s Office, Granby Police Department, Fraiser/Winter Park Police Department, Craig Police Department, Moffat County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado State Patrol, 14th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. The CIRT is activated when a law enforcement agency is involved in a critical incident to ensure an independent investigation. Because Moffat County Sheriff’s Office personnel and Craig Police Department personnel were involved in this incident, the Routt County Sheriff’s Office is leading this investigation on behalf of the CIRT.
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