THURSDAY, June 11, 2026 |
Photo – Sergeant Zach Burns and child – Courtesy Sheriff Alex Bakken
The Carbon County Sheriff’s Office released more details about Monday’s officer involved shooting in Baggs.
Yesterday morning, Sheriff Alex Bakken posted on social media that his department received a call on Monday, June 8th, about a man with a gun in Baggs.
Sheriff Bakken wrote that Sergeant Zach Burns was in the area and responded immediately. Dispatchers relayed the suspect vehicle information to Sergeant Burns, and he was able to locate the suspect vehicle in front of a small apartment complex in Baggs.
Sergeant Burns then initiated a traffic stop, and the suspect, whose name has not been released, immediately got out of his vehicle and opened fire on the officer with a semi‑automatic rifle. Sergeant Burns was struck in the neck, arm, and hip.
The suspect then set fire to the apartment building before getting back in his vehicle and fleeing north out of Baggs on Highway 789. Officers responding to the fire reported that the suspect set up propane tanks to detonate in the blaze.
Baggs residents immediately rushed to provide aid to Sergeant Burns until emergency medical crews arrived. The wounded officer was flown by medical helicopter to a trauma center in Colorado. He remains in critical condition.
Bigfoot99 and Bandit102 incorrectly reported that the suspect committed suicide following the altercation. Sheriff Bakken wrote that the suspect was actually killed in a shootout with Carbon County Deputies on Highway 789 after fleeing the scene.
The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation is continuing to investigate the incident.
Sheriff Bakken wrote that his heart is with Sergeant Burns and his family, as well as all the deputies, troopers, Baggs residents, and partner agencies who assisted. The sheriff asked the public to keep all of them in their thoughts and prayers.
Later in the day, Sheriff Bakken wrote in another social media post that a large number of people had reached out to express their support for Sergeant Burns, his family, the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office, the Little Snake River Valley, and all the partner agencies.
Sheriff Bakken instructed those interested in helping support Sergeant Burns and his family to make an in-person contribution at either the Rawlins or Saratoga Bank of Commerce branches.
Mail‑in donations should be addressed to Bank of Commerce at PO Box 50 in Rawlins, 82301, with “Attention to Benefit for Zach Burns and Family,” written on the envelope.
Sheriff Bakken said his office also has created an online account with the crowdfunding platform, SpotFund. Donations quickly poured in and by yesterday afternoon, donors had contributed nearly $10,000 to the campaign. A link to the Support for Sergeant Burns and Family SpotFund page has been included in this story on Bigfoot99.com.
Sheriff Bakken thanked the public for their support during this immensely difficult time, adding that it means more than they can know.
The Carbon County Sheriff’s Victim and Witness Program is holding a community debrief at 11 a.m. tomorrow, June 12th, at the Carbon County Higher Education Center in Baggs. For more information, call Victim/Witness Coordinator Loretta Hansen or Victim/Witness Specialist Dawnette Spaulding at 328-7713 or contact the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office at 324-2776.
Support For Sgt. Burns And Family: *Support For Sgt. Burns And Family – Fundraiser by Battle Mtn Consulting on *spotfund
