FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Suspicious Call of a “Barricaded Subject” in Norwood Required Heavy Law Enforcement Response, School “Lockout,” and Highway Closure
Contact: Susan Lilly, Public Information Officer 970-729-2028
susanl@sanmiguelsheriff.org
January 11, 2017 -- (Norwood, CO) – A “suspicious call” received by dispatchers Thursday afternoon just before 1 o’clock required heavy law enforcement response from multi-agencies.
An out-of-state male guest at the Backcountry Inn in downtown Norwood reportedly had barricaded himself in a room at the inn. Law enforcement had reason to believe he may be armed and potentially dangerous.
The Norwood Marshal and Sheriff’s Deputies evacuated neighboring rooms and two city blocks of businesses and residences, closed Highway 145 through downtown Norwood, and the Norwood public school was placed on “lockout,” meaning no one was allowed to enter or leave the school, however students and staff were permitted to move throughout the building.
Colorado State Patrol was on scene, Norwood Fire/EMS and the Montrose County Swat Team were placed on standby.
Upon entry into the room, some 90-minutes after the call was received, law enforcement found the male subject dead of an apparent suicide. Once the scene was declared safe, the school lockout was lifted and the highway was re-opened in Norwood.
Norwood Marshal Mike Wilkerson said, “We appreciate all of the assistance we received from the various agencies and are glad that this situation was resolved safely and quickly.”
Sheriff Bill Masters said, “We train for scenarios like this and have protocols to follow to help ensure the safety of our community and law enforcement. I’m proud of all of the responders for their swift and effective management of this incident.”
The San Miguel County Coroner’s Office is investigating the official cause of death.
Norwood has a population of less than 600 and is located approximately 30 miles Northwest of Telluride, Colorado.
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The San Miguel Sheriff’s Office, located in Telluride, Colorado and established in 1883, serves 7,800 residents and countless visitors across the 1,288 square miles of San Miguel County. Sheriff Bill Masters has been serving as the county’s elected Sheriff since 1980