GRAND JUNCTION, CO — Two men were arrested Tuesday morning after one allegedly shot a pellet air rifle toward disc golfers and a police drone, while the other downed the drone with a rock near Watson Island.
On Tuesday, August 18, at approximately 9:15 a.m., Grand Junction Police Department officers responded to reports of a man shooting a suspected pellet gun near Watson Island East.
Investigators determined that two men were walking near the Watson Island disc golf course when one fired a pellet air rifle toward players in the area. Officers saturated the region along Watson Island and south of the Colorado River, deploying a police drone to help locate the suspects.
Using the drone, officers spotted the two suspects walking with two dogs, with one man carrying a rifle. The armed suspect reportedly fired the rifle at the drone, while the second suspect struck the drone with a rock, bringing it down, and then concealed it inside his backpack.
Officers eventually located the two men in a tent along the Colorado River, east of the 5th Street bridge. Both suspects were safely taken into custody, and the pellet air rifle and damaged drone were recovered. Authorities reported no injuries during the incident.
The suspects were transported to the Mesa County Detention Facility and booked on the following charges:
- Matthew Cook, 40: Menacing, Reckless Endangerment
- Brandon Ray, 31: Criminal Mischief, Theft, Obstruction
Photo by Grand Junction Police Department