Drunk man leads police on slow chase after shooting another man at Evans Hotel – Greeley Tribune

A 63-year-old man is in the Weld County Jail on $100,000 bond after police said he shot another man following an argument at an Evans hotel earlier this month.

Police arrested Byron Nelson on Sept. 15 after he fired a shot through the passenger window of his truck, hitting the hotel just 2 feet above the victim’s head, according to an affidavit for Nelson’s arrest.

Nelson is charged with attempted first-degree murder and illegal discharge of a firearm, both felonies, as well as driving under the influence and prohibited use of a weapon for possession of the weapon while intoxicated, Colorado court records show.

On September 15 at 5 p.m., Evans Police responded to a traffic incident at a hotel in the 800 block of 31st Street. Dispatch notes indicated that an intoxicated man left the hotel and stopped in the middle of the highway.

Shortly thereafter, officers were notified of another call in which a white Chevrolet Avalanche shot at the caller at the hotel. Then police received a third call from a hotel guest reporting shots fired. The caller wasn’t sure if anyone was injured.

While en route, police saw a white Chevy Avalanche turning from 31st Street onto southbound US 85 and attempted to stop the truck, the affidavit states.

Although he wasn’t going much faster than 20 miles per hour, the driver – later identified as Nelson – made no attempt to stop, according to police. Police followed Nelson until he eventually stopped in the 3900 block of St. Vrain Street, the affidavit said.

When he stopped, he stuck both hands out the driver’s side window and obeyed all of the officers’ verbal commands. When he got out of his truck, he had difficulty keeping his balance and almost fell several times.

Police arrested Nelson and searched the pickup. According to the affidavit, she found a handgun on the floor directly behind the driver’s seat. The passenger side window was shattered and there was a hole the size of a bullet in the upper right corner.

Eventually, police discovered several small bottles of alcohol in the driver’s door pocket.

According to the affidavit, police reviewed surveillance footage from the hotel showing Nelson parking his pickup truck before stumbling across the parking lot and urinating on the victim’s truck.

According to police, the victim then confronted Nelson as he walked back to his white pickup truck. About two minutes later, according to the affidavit, the glass shot out of Nelson’s passenger window before Nelson put the car in reverse and drove off. As Nelson drove away, police could see what appeared to be a bullet hole in the passenger window.

The victim, who was sitting outside his hotel room at the time of the shooting, heard a gunshot and felt debris hit him, the affidavit said.

Police later photographed the victim sitting in the chair, and the bullet hole could be seen in the hotel wall 2 feet above the victim’s head, according to the affidavit.

When police asked Nelson why he shot the victim, Nelson responded with a rude insult to the victim.

Nelson said he and the victim got into a verbal argument over renting a room before the two exchanged several profanities.

When police asked what happened next, Nelson said, “I’m sorry, I shot him,” according to the affidavit.

Shortly thereafter, Nelson’s wife arrived and told police that, according to records, Nelson had been “taking so much medication it was unreal” and that he had been acting strangely lately.

She told officers that he had poured coffee on the kitchen floor earlier that morning, thinking it would fill a cup, the affidavit states. Police said they also mentioned he was “running into walls.”

She told police she did not see Nelson take the gun before he left that morning, but that she heard the safe closing and that it seemed strange to her, the affidavit said. Police noted that she told them he left the house that morning after learning of the reported assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.

After police spoke with his wife, Nelson refused to speak to them further about the situation and first requested to speak with his attorney, according to the affidavit. According to police, he also refused any form of sobriety test.

Nelson has a hearing scheduled for Nov. 1 in Weld District Court.