Fort Collins Police safely arrested an armed man on Monday morning after he held a family hostage in a Courtenay Circle home.

Just before 8 a.m. on December 12, 2022, Fort Collins 911 received a report of an argument happening in front of a house. A male suspect, identified as Rick Murphy, 44, had initiated the interaction with one of the adult residents. Murphy then forced the man into the home where other residents were located. Police learned that the suspect was armed with multiple guns and was holding the family hostage. Murphy was not a resident of the home but knew the victims.

Patrol officers arrived at the scene and, due to the high-risk nature of the incident, activated the Fort Collins SWAT team, UAS team, and crisis negotiators. The Larimer County All Hazards/Crisis Response Team also responded to assist. A child was able to leave the home and was uninjured, but Murphy continued to hold the two adult residents hostage and assaulted them. Police negotiators were able to make contact with him, and at 9:44 a.m., the suspect eventually exited the home with the adult victims. The victims sustained moderate injuries and are expected to recover.

Murphy was arrested on the following charges and booked into the Larimer County Jail:

Second Degree Kidnapping - 3 counts (class 3 felony)
First Degree Burglary (class 3 felony)
Second Degree Assault (class 4 felony)
Felony Menacing - 3 counts (class 5 felony)
Third Degree Assault (class 1 misdemeanor)
Child Abuse (class 2 misdemeanor)

“This was an extremely dangerous situation, and our dispatchers and officers used a variety of tools and tactics to pave a path for a safe resolution,” said FCPS Chief Jeff Swoboda. “We’ll continue supporting the victims as they recover physically and emotionally from this traumatic incident.”

FCPS would like to thank the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office for quickly providing resources during this situation. Anyone with information about this suspect or incident, who has not already spoken to police, may contact Detective Matt Schuh at 970-416-8043. All charges are simply an accusation by law enforcement, and all parties must be presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.