Deputy killed in Colorado ambush had deep Houston ties

David Morgan of Highlands Ranch, Colo., holds an American flag as a procession of law enforcement vehicles accompany a hearse carrying the body of a sheriff's deputy shot and killed while responding to a domestic disturbance Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, in Highlands Ranch, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) less David Morgan of Highlands Ranch, Colo., holds an American flag as a procession of law enforcement vehicles accompany a hearse carrying the body of a sheriff's deputy shot and killed while responding to a ... more Photo: David Zalubowski, Associated Press Photo: David Zalubowski, Associated Press Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Deputy killed in Colorado ambush had deep Houston ties 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

A sheriff's deputy gunned down early Sunday during an ambush-style shooting of officers in Colorado was a young father with deep Houston roots.

The family of the slain deputy, Zackari Parrish III, worships with Second Baptist Church, where he attended the private Second Baptist School before heading to Dallas Baptist University and then moving to Colorado.

Parrish, 29, is survived by his wife and their two young daughters, as well as his parents and sisters, who still live in the Houston area. His mother works at the church and his father leads Bible studies, a pastor said.

FIRED UPON IMMEDIATELY: Suspect holed up in an apartment

The deputy graduated in 2006 from the church's school, where he played on the baseball team as an infielder.

Reagan Reynolds, a pastor at the church, was a classmate and teammate of Parrish's. He remembers a gregarious young man who moved to Houston early in high school and quickly found a tight-knit group of friends.

"He was extremely friendly and charming," Reynolds said. "It was impossible not to like him."

Photo: Jacob Carpenter Zackari Parrish III - a sheriff's deputy in Douglas County,...

Parrish had been a deputy for about seven months with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, serving an area south of Denver. He was on duty at about 5 a.m. Sunday when he responded to a disturbance at an apartment complex.

A man fired more than 100 rounds before being fatally shot himself. Along with Parrish's death, three other deputies and a police officer were wounded, as well as two civilians. The four injured officers, who range in age from 28 to 41, were in stable condition, and the two civilians' injuries were not life-threatening.

Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock said deputies came under fire almost immediately after entering the suspect's apartment and trying to talk with the him as he was holed up in a bedroom.

"They all went down almost within seconds of each other, so it was more of an ambush-type of attack on our officers," Spurlock said. "He knew we were coming and we obviously let him know that we were there."

The Douglas County coroner identified the suspect as 37-year-old Matthew Riehl.

A YouTube user named Matthew Riehl posted a YouTube video Dec. 13, saying he wanted to replace Spurlock and railing against the sheriff and other officers in profane, highly personal terms.

'He died a hero'

Parrish's death devastated the local community and police departments in the region, said Rick Derbyshire, a pastor at Parrish's church in Colorado and a chaplain with two local law enforcement agencies.

Derbyshire said he met Sunday afternoon with Parrish's wife, Gracie, and several of the couple's other family members and friends. Together, they recalled Parrish's love for police work and helping his community.

"Even with the depth of their grief and sorrow, they are taking solace in the fact that he died a hero and the fact that he was doing exactly what he wanted to do," Derbyshire said.

After graduating from Dallas Baptist University, Parrish initially worked in business before switching to law enforcement.

His friend Nathan Rees, who also went from Second Baptist School to Dallas Baptist University, remembered Parrish as a goofy guy who was serious about protecting others, from his sisters to his wife to the public.

We are heartbroken by the news of the death of Zack Parrish, a DBU alumnus who was killed in the line of duty today. Please continue to pray for his wife, their two little girls, and their family. https://t.co/RKwBp6TYrW — D.B.U. (@DBUPatriots) December 31, 2017

Rees lived with Parrish for a year during college. He remembered playing acoustic guitar together and falling into serious conversations with his normally light-hearted housemate.

"There were definitely times when the two of us would sit and talk - about faith, or about doubt, or love," Rees said.

"When we weren't goofing off," he added quickly.

But Parrish grew focused when he met his future wife, who was from Colorado.

"Really quickly after they started dating, he was very serious about it," Reynolds said. "He told me and some of his other friends how much liked her and how confident he was (about the relationship.)"

Rees remembers talking with Parrish about each of their girlfriends, who soon became their wives.

"We had one of those dude conversations," Rees said. "He had this look in his eyes. He was ready and knew that she was the one."

Parrish took on more coursework so he could finish college early and marry Gracie, Reynolds said. The couple moved to Colorado, her home state. In recent years they had two daughters.

Parrish worked at the Castle Rock Police Department south of Denver before joining the Douglas County Sheriff's Office earlier in 2017, working the overnight shift.

Parrish's friends think his desire to work in law enforcement came from his lifelong habit of watching out for his sisters.

"Growing up, he really did love and care about his sisters," Rees remembered. "He so much wanted to be a protector, and I think that's why he eventually left the thought of doing business. ... He was wanting to go to business school at one time. But he wanted to protect people."

Sunday's shooting occurred at a landscaped apartment complex in Highland Ranch, 16 miles south of Denver.

Authorities had left the home barely an hour earlier in response to a complaint of a "verbal disturbance" involving two men, the sheriff's office said. One of the men told them the suspect "was acting bizarre and might be having a mental breakdown" but the deputies found no evidence of a crime.

When deputies were called back, a man who had left came by to give them a key and granted permission to enter the home, leaving again before shots were fired.

A memorial service for Parrish has been set for 10 a.m. Friday at Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. A member of the family's church set up a fundraising page for the family: www.gofundme.com/ZParrish

Parrish was a devoted Christian whose faith would carry his family through tragedy, Derbyshire said. "We all know that he would have told his wife, 'If anything happens to me, Gracie, it's my time. I'm going to miss you, but it's my time, and this is the job that God called me to do.'"

The Associated Press contributed to this report.