COLORADO Corrections chief is shot, killed at home

Associated Press

MONUMENT, Colo.

The fatal shooting of Colorado’s top prisons official when he answered the front door at his house highlights a troubling reality for the nation’s judges, prosecutors and other legal officials: At a time when attacks on them are rising, it’s difficult for them to remain secure, even when they are off duty.

Investigators do not yet know why Tom Clements, 58, was shot around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at his home north of Colorado Springs. They could not rule out any possibilities, including that it was a random shooting or that it was an attack related to Clements’ job, authorities said.

While small in numbers, similar attacks on officials have been increasing in the U.S. in recent years, said Glenn McGovern, an investigator with the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office in California who tracks such incidents worldwide. He said there have been roughly as many in the past three years — at least 35 — as the entire prior decade. Revenge is usually the motive, he added.

“It’s often taking place away from the office, which makes sense, because everyone’s hardening up their facilities,” he said, adding that he advises prosecutors to constantly assess the safety of their residences.

Attacks on legal officials are still extremely rare, said Scott Burns of the National District Attorneys Association. But he acknowledged that legal officials are vulnerable outside of protected offices and courthouses.