In the cold afternoon of February 5, 2018, what began as a routine auto theft investigation in Colorado Springs, Colorado, quickly spiraled into a violent confrontation that claimed the life of 34-year-old El Paso County Sheriff's Deputy Micah Flick. A dedicated 11-year veteran of the force and a father to 7-year-old twins, Flick was part of a multi-agency task force tracking a stolen vehicle.
The operation led them to the Murray Hill Apartments on Galley Road, where they planned to apprehend the suspect.
The man they were pursuing was 19-year-old Manuel Zetina. As members of the task force, dressed in plain clothes but with police identifiers, moved in to make an arrest in the apartment complex parking lot, a struggle broke out. Zetina, with his hand in his pocket, was approached by Deputy Scott Stone and Detective Micah Flick. Stone grabbed Zetina in a 'bear hug' and identified them as police. Zetina then produced a handgun and opened fire. The first shot struck Deputy Stone in the hip.
In the ensuing chaos, Flick wrestled with Zetina. Witnesses reported seeing the two struggling on the ground before Flick was shot at close range. Zetina then began firing indiscriminately around the parking lot. During the hail of bullets, Colorado Springs Police Detective Marcus Yanez was shot in the groin, and Sergeant Jake Abendshan was hit by shrapnel. A civilian, Thomas Villanueva, who was simply walking through the area, was also struck by a bullet from Zetina's gun and was left paralyzed.
Officers returned fire, and Zetina was shot and killed at the scene. Investigations later confirmed that the fatal shot that struck Micah Flick in the throat was fired from Zetina's weapon. The incident, which unfolded on the 11th anniversary of Flick's service with the sheriff's office, sent shockwaves through the community and left a family grieving the loss of a husband and father. The three other officers wounded in the exchange survived their injuries. No arrests were made as the sole suspect was killed during the incident.
