Carbon County sheriff reflects on officer-involved shooting
SARATOGA (WNE) — For the first time since an officer-involved shooting in Baggs on June 8, Carbon County Sheriff Alex Bakken publicly spoke about the incident at the June 16 meeting of the Board of Carbon County Commissioners.
The shooter, who has not been identified, was killed by a deputy with the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office after he shot Sgt. Zach Burns.
“One of our own, Sergeant Burns, was shot several times at close range with a semi-automatic rifle and one of our own killed the shooter. Taking a human life is something that’s really hard to describe, but we’re all glad that he was on scene and that he conducted that course of action,” said Bakken. “We didn’t give that individual a chance to go out on his own terms, we arranged those terms.”
Burns responded to a call of a man with a gun in the Baggs area near the Colorado state line. After pulling him over in front of a small apartment complex, the suspect left the vehicle and fired several shots at Burns, hitting the deputy in the neck, arm and hip. The suspect then set fire to the apartment complex before getting back into his vehicle and fleeing northbound on Highway 789.
Multiple agencies from Colorado and Wyoming responded to the incident.
“Despite the tragedy and the sheer trauma of this event, it would be truly remiss not to mention the overwhelming support we received. Not only from our community but from agencies and communities across the state. We had well over a dozen different agencies respond from Colorado, from Wyoming and the private citizens of Baggs,” said Bakken. “They were able to provide initial life-saving measures to Deputy Burns as well as covering with their own firearms.”
Burns was eventually life-flighted to St. Mary’s Medical Center in Grand Junction, Colorado. According to Bakken, during the week he and members of his staff were down there, they were offered everything from meals to houses to clothes.
“Everything we could ask for and need, it was provided without us even asking. Deputies with Mesa County [and] officers with Grand Junction Police Department stood vigil over Zach the entire time when either the family or our office staff wasn’t able to,” said Bakken. “While it is tragic, as with anything there was good. I would be remiss not to mention that good.”
Burns is still in critical condition in Grand Junction.
A beneficiary account has been set up for Burns at the Bank of Commerce. Contributions can be made in person or mailed to: Bank of Commerce ATTN: Benefit of Zach Burns and Family P.O. Box 50 Rawlins, WY 82301. An online account has also been set up through Spotfund at https://spot.fund/ SupportSgtBurns.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing and is being conducted by the Wyoming Department of Criminal Investigation.
This story was published on June 26, 2026.
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