Published on July 05, 2025
On the evening of July 4, at approximately 11 p.m., Caldwell officers responded to a report of shots fired in the area of Kiowa Creek involving 68-year-old Fred Carter. Investigators learned that Carter had allegedly fired a weapon at the home of an intended victim he had been stalking. Although the victim was not injured, rounds struck her residence. Following the initial incident, officers quickly identified Carter at his residence, where he was attempting to enter his pickup truck. When officers initiated a high-risk stop with emergency lights activated, Carter ignored commands and fled the scene. Given the nature of the offense and the belief that Carter was armed and presented an ongoing threat to the community and his intended victim, officers initiated a vehicle pursuit. The pursuit ended when officers conducted a Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT) maneuver near East Ustick Road and South Kimball Avenue. During the PIT, a patrol vehicle left the roadway, sustaining damage and resulting in injuries to the officer. Despite continued attempts to de-escalate and safely apprehend Carter, he accelerated his vehicle into another patrol car, causing significant front-end damage before his vehicle became immobilized. During a search of the vehicle, a loaded handgun was recovered, which was believed to have been used in the shooting. After continued efforts, Carter was taken into custody without further incident. It was later revealed that Carter had previously told the victim he intended to provoke a deadly encounter with law enforcement to end his own life. Carter was charged with multiple felony offenses, including aggravated assault, felony eluding, DUI, and additional related charges. The Caldwell officer was transported to a local hospital, where he was treated and released. “Unfortunately, there are people in our community who cannot enjoy the independence and birth of America without having to resort to cowardly violence. I am beyond proud of our men and women who leave home every day, don their uniform, and literally stand in the face of danger to keep their community safe. Last night was no different when my officers decided to take immediate action and pursue a known shooting suspect who was armed and dangerous. Unfortunately, this resulted in one of my officers being in the hospital. Luckily, the hero was discharged and returned to his family safely. The savage who tried to shoot an innocent woman and run away from my officers will face justice and hopefully not be free to spend another Independence Day in our community for a long time,” said Rex Ingram, Caldwell Chief of Police.