SUNRISE: UPDATE: Man released after drive-by shooting called into question

A 19-year-old man was released from custody Monday morning after police were told conflicting stories about a reported drive-by shooting in downtown Colorado Springs.

Police initially suspected the man played a part in a shooting shortly after 1:30 a.m. in the parking lot behind the 7-Eleven at Tejon Street and Pikes Peak Avenue, according to Colorado Springs police.

Police said that a man was trying to jump-start his car when another vehicle pulled up and fired a round.

A 19-year-old man, who had three guns in his vehicle, was detained four blocks away, and police initially believed he pulled the trigger.

Later on Monday morning, however, he was released from custody.

“… the ongoing investigation calls into question the validity of that information,” according to the police department’s online blotter.

No shell casings were recovered and police did not find a bullet hole in any nearby business or vehicle, said Sgt. Kevin Miyakusu. No one was injured.

Further details of the investigation were not released.

WEATHER

Expect a couple days of spring-like weather before a snowy blast of cold air heads into the Pikes Peak region, according to the National Weather Service.

Expect temperatures to reach 51 degrees on Monday in Colorado Springs and 56 on Tuesday before the storm hits on Wednesday, likely bringing with it the chance of snow, according to the weather service.

High temperatures could also drop as much as 25 degrees with the storm, forecasters said.

AROUND COLORADO

Brighton Police: Officer kills armed suspect
BRIGHTON, Colo. (AP) — Authorities say a Brighton officer shot and fatally wounded a 36-year-old man who was advancing on police with a handgun.

The shooting occurred Saturday. No names have been released.

Police say they were investigating reports of a man threatening people with a gun at two stores when an officer spotted a car matching witness descriptions.

Police say the officer tried to pull the car over but it drove away. The car stopped after running over tire-deflating devices police had placed in its path.

Police say the driver got out holding a handgun and walked toward officers, ignoring orders to drop the weapon. At least one officer shot and injured the driver.

Police say the driver died after he was taken to a Denver hospital.

Lawsuit: Denver jailed wrong person in 500 cases
DENVER (AP) — A lawsuit accuses Denver of wrongly jailing more than 500 people over seven years because officials didn't ensure they arrested the right person.

The Denver Post reported Sunday the American Civil Liberties union sued the city and county of Denver in federal court.

The lawsuit says authorities arrested people who were the wrong race or had obvious differences in age, weight and height.

City officials say the mistakes make up a fraction of the thousands of inmates incarcerated each year. They say they try to avoid arresting the wrong people but acknowledge mistakes have happened.

Officials have said they have no comprehensive system to track mistaken-identity arrests. The ACLU says it found 503 such cases from 2002 into 2009 by combing through court and jail records.

GOP voter rolls rising in western Colorado
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) — Republicans have increased their voter registration in west-central Colorado by 6 percent over the past four years as Democrats slipped slightly.

The Grand Junction Sentinel reported Sunday that Democratic registration fell by less than 1 percent and unaffiliated voters grew more than 8 percent.

The Sentinel examined voter registration in Delta, Garfield, Mesa, Montrose and Rio Blanco counties.

Chuck Poplstein, executive director of the state Republican Party, says President Barack Obama's 2008 election galvanized the party.

John Straayer, a professor of political science at Colorado State University, says the Republican Party growth might reflect the high-profile primary campaign for the GOP presidential nomination.

Straayer says Democrats already have their candidate, and there is no Senate or gubernatorial race to fire up interest.

Denver stock show draws big opening-day crowd
DENVER (AP) — The National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver is off to a promising start with more than 44,000 visitors attending opening day over the weekend.

The Denver Post reports Saturday's turnout was the second-highest in National Western history and 4.7 percent ahead of last year.

This is the show's 106th year.

It runs daily through Jan. 22 at the National Western Complex at Interstate 70 and Brighton

Aspen tree die-off may be caused by drought
ASPEN, Colo. (AP) — A mysterious malady has killed off nearly one-fifth of Colorado's aspens. But forest ecologists have struggled to explain the widespread die-off, known as Sudden Aspen Decline or SAD.

The Aspen Daily News reports that a new study from researchers at Stanford University and the University of Utah may provide a breakthrough in understanding SAD and how it kills trees.

The research found that aspens have essentially dehydrated due to a drought that took hold of Colorado from 2000 to 2004. In a delayed reaction to the drought, the systems that carry water through aspen stands broke down.

HAPPENINGS
-- “Monday Night Movie - Hanna,” 10:30 a.m., Cheyenne Mountain Branch Library, 1785 S. 8th St., free.

-- The Ruth Holley craft group, 1:30-2:30 p.m., Ruth Holley Library Branch, 685 N. Murray Blvd., free.