DA: Officer Richard Steidell Justified In Shooting And Injuring Boulder Gunman Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa
BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) - The Boulder County District Attorney's Office announced Thursday its decision that Officer Richard Steidell was justified in firing his handgun at Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa during Alissa's attack on shoppers and staff at a King Soopers on March 22.
Ten people were killed. Alissa is accused of causing their deaths and injuring several other people. He faces dozens of charges including murder and attempted murder.
The 20th Judicial District's Critical Incident Team conducted the investigation. It determined Steidell was the only officer to fire a weapon at Alissa during the incident.
Steidell, it was stated, was among the second wave of officers to enter the supermarket's east entryway.
Three Boulder police officers were in the first wave that had made their way inside minutes earlier. One of those officers, Eric Talley, was fatally shot as he led the group past the store's checkout registers.
Eleven officers were in that second wave. They advanced behind a ballastic shield.
Approximately 20 seconds after they entered, shots were fired at them, according to the DA's Office's summation of the investigative report. Several rounds passed directly over the heads of the officers and one round directly between the heads of a CUPD officer and another Boulder officer. One of those officers was injured by entryway glass shattering behind them.
Steidell, the report states, dove to the ground and had a clear line of sight down the aisle at a shooter holding a rifle. He returned fire.
The shooter moved out of sight and Steidell maintained his prone position, his gun pointed down the aisle.
Approximately 90 seconds later, the shooter returned to the end of the aisle and aimed his weapon toward the officers.
"Officer Steidell immediately fired a second group of shots toward the suspect," the DA's summation stated.
According to store surveillance video, body-worn camera recordings, interviews and scene analysis, no civilians were in Steidell's line of fire, it stated, and Steidell's shots ended the incident.
Earlier estimates from authorities had said Steidell fired seven times.
In a separate press release from the office of Boulder County District Attorney, DA Michael Dougherty was careful to state that the conclusion reached regarding Steidell's performance was "not a commentary" on the accusations against Alissa.
"The authority and role of the District Attorney's Office is to determine whether Officer Steidell committed a criminal offense that can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt," it stated.
The DA's investigative report was addressed to BPD Chief Maris Herold. The department is free to take its own action, if it decides any is warranted.
Alissa is due in court May 27.
Steidell returns to full duty Friday, a Boulder PD spokesperson told CBS4.
Dionne Waugh also said Steidell has been with BPD since June 2019. He previously spent 11 years in the Coast Guard where he was recognized as Guardsman of the Year in 2016. He also was recognized as a pistol sharp shooter and expert rifle marksman, Waugh stated.