Lieutenant Hiram Short was shot and killed while responding to an assistance call from a state wildlife officer. When Lieutenant Short arrived on the scene the suspect pulled out a handgun and opened fire, killing Lieutenant Short and wounding two other officers who were on the scene.
The suspect later shot and killed Deputy John Clark, of the Eagle County Sheriff's Department, during a foot pursuit. The suspect was apprehended hiding in sage brush near railroad tracks, and was sentenced to death.
Lieutenant Short had been with the agency for 15 years.