Off-duty Colton police officer dies after accidentally shooting himself, authorities say Police identify suspect in fatal shooting of off-duty officer who accidentally shot himself
Colton Police said the officer, who they identified as Officer Justin Colton, was shot in the head by a suspect who opened fire as he entered the home. Authorities said the suspect was taken into custody within hours. Colton, who is survived by his wife, children and mother, died on the scene. The officer’s family identified Colton on Monday night.
A Colton police officer who was off-duty at the time of the shooting is dead after he accidentally shot himself, according to authorities.
Officer Justin Colton, a 24-year-old single father of two, died Monday evening at the hospital. Colton — who was serving as an off-duty police officer at the time of his shooting — was identified by the Colton Police Department on Monday night as one of four people killed during a mass shooting in the small Texas town of Odessa.
Colton family told a reporter a “devastating” decision to allow him to return to duty after his death was made on the front lines of the deadliest day in Odessa since the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001.
A Colton Police Department officer who was off-duty at the time of his shooting is dead after he accidentally fired on himself, according to authorities.
“He loved his kids very much, he loved his wife very much, his family, his job, his community,” said the Rev. Billy Lovett, a church elder in the community.
“He was doing his job as a police officer,” said Lovett, who is also a pastor in Midland. “It’s devastating, the thought of it being taken away from them.”
The Colton Police Department identified Colton as one of four people killed during a shooting on Monday afternoon that involved multiple firearms. His wife, who was shot and killed, was identified as Crystal Colton, a police officer in Midland.
A man who identified himself as a police officer told reporters the shooting followed what he described as an “active shooter incident,” though he didn’t elaborate on the nature of the threat.
Colton, who was a Midland police officer, was off-duty at the time of the shooting, police said. His wife, Crystal Colton, was killed in the shooting.
