A Jefferson County jury found Samuel McConnell, DOB 4/15/76, guilty of the lesser charges of Assault in the Second Degree – Reckless Causing Injury (F4), Aggravated Robbery (F3), Theft $50-300 (M3), five counts of Reckless Endangerment (M3), Child Abuse – Reckless (M2), Reckless Driving (T2), Leaving the Scene of an Accident Involving Injury (T1) and Tampering with Physical Evidence (F6). McConnell also faced charges of Criminal Attempt to Commit Murder in the First Degree (F2), and Assault in the First Degree (F3) and was acquitted of those charges.
On the morning of December 18th, 2019, wearing a mask and armed with a handgun, Samuel McConnell entered the Circle K in the 8000 block of Kipling St. in Arvada and demanded money from the store clerk. An off-duty officer was outside the Circle K with his son when he was alerted by another customer that there was an armed robbery taking place.
The off-duty officer testified that as he was getting gas, a bystander ran outside the store and said there was a robbery taking place. The victim immediately drew his weapon and attempted to intervene. As he started to approach the store door, McConnell exited the store, surprising the victim. Surveillance footage reflected that McConnell was told repeatedly to stop. The victim testified that he was quickly “looking down the barrel of a gun”, and he discharged his weapon. Shots were exchanged in a matter of seconds and the victim was shot in both arms. The windshield of McConnell’s vehicle was hit by one of the victim’s shots.
McConnell fled the scene at a high rate of speed, collided with another vehicle on West 80th Avenue and continued northbound on Kipling Parkway. Thanks to tips from the public, McConnell was located that evening in the 8300 block of Sheridan Blvd.
At trial, McConnell took the stand and testified that he shot at the individual in an attempt to get that individual to stop shooting.
The injuries to the officer constituted Serious Bodily Injury.
McConnell left the store with a little over $200 cash and admitted that his two-year-old daughter was in the car during the robbery and the subsequent shooting and his flight.
Samuel McConnell is being held without bond at the Jefferson County jail and faces between 10-49 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set.