Fort Collins, CO—Today the Larimer County District Attorney’s Office released a Critical Incident Response Team opinion letter regarding the Officer Involved Shooting on July 21, 2024 at the Grandview Cemetery. Along with declaring justified use of force, the letter shares that the deceased, Clayton Pierce, was also a suspect in a homicide under investigation by Fort Collins Police Services (FCPS). The homicide under investigation was a recently reopened cold case from 2019.

In 2019, FCPS patrol officers received a call for service stating there was a male, Joseph ‘Sonny’ Brigman, lying unresponsive in his home. It was later determined that Brigman was the victim of homicide. FCPS detectives exhausted all investigative leads at that time and probable cause for criminal charges could not be established.

Detectives revisited the case in 2023 with the hope of generating new leads and further examining evidence. It was determined that sufficient evidence existed to prove Pierce was responsible for the death of Brigman. Prior to the incident at the Grandview Cemetery, detectives were in the process of formalizing charges. Charges were officially filed with the Larimer County District Attorney’s Office on August 20, 2024.

The District Attorney’s Office has determined that, if he were not deceased, they would pursue the following charges against Clayton Pierce:

· Class 1 Felony – Murder, 1st Degree

For media inquiries, please contact fcpsmedia@fcgov.com or 970.818.8950.