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Witnesses: Ft. Lupton attempted murder suspect appeared high, was to join motorcycle club

Last updated on October 30, 2020

A Fort Lupton man appeared to be high when he shot a relative less than two weeks ago over a money dispute, according to witnesses.

In the afternoon of Oct. 10, a man was sitting near his welding truck outside his mobile home in the 7100 block of Henry Street in Aristocrat Acres, about four miles northeast of Fort Lupton. A relative, 28-year-old Coltin Clark, arrived with his girlfriend in her truck, as well as two men on motorcycles, a woman in a sedan and possibly a sixth person in an SUV, according to witnesses. Not seeing the man was outside, Clark went inside the home.

The man later told police he constructed six security gates from mid- to late September, receiving help from Clark. The man told Clark that he would pay Clark when he received payment for the work. The check came on Oct. 10, but he was unable to cash the check until the banks opened the following Monday.

“Where’s my check?” Clark yelled inside the house, according to the man.

The man called out to Clark, who pulled a handgun out of a shoulder holster and pointed it at the man’s face, according to an affidavit for Clark’s arrest. As Clark pulled the trigger, the victim tried moving out of the way when he heard a loud shot, the affidavit states. The man stood back up and began to make threatening statements. One of the motorcyclists grabbed Clark and pulled him away from the gunshot victim, pushing Clark towards his girlfriend’s truck. The other motorcyclist approached the victim.

“You need to get him out of here or he’s going to die,” the victim said, according to court records.

Coltin Clark. (Weld County Sheriff’s Office/For Greeley Tribune)

The victim found blood coming from his head. He was taken to an emergency room at North Colorado Medical Center. It was determined he sustained minor injuries in the shooting.

A witness told police Clark was supposed to become a member of a motorcycle club called “The Brotherhood,” according to court records. Witnesses said Clark had wide, bulging eyes and that he appeared to be on meth. Witnesses said Clark received the gun as a birthday gift from his girlfriend, who denied giving Clark a gun. Clark pleaded guilty of second-degree assault and has a mandatory protection order prohibiting from owning guns, court records state.

The Weld County Sheriff’s Office announced Oct. 12 that law enforcement was looking for Clark on suspicion of attempted first-degree murder, second-degree assault, menacing and possession of a weapon by a previous offender, as well as a protection order violation. He turned himself in 5 a.m. the next day at the Fort Lupton Police Department and was booked into the Weld County Jail.

Clark on Thursday waived his right to a preliminary hearing in Weld District Court. A disposition hearing is set for 10 a.m. Nov. 24.