by North Forty News Staff | NorthFortyNews.com
Deputies narrowly avoided injury during a 2023 confrontation involving warrants, vehicle attacks, and threats
A Larimer County man has been sentenced to 48 years in prison following a violent 2023 standoff that endangered law enforcement officers and resulted in multiple felony convictions.
According to the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, deputies attempted to contact Zachary Widener in August 2023 regarding multiple outstanding warrants. Instead of surrendering, Widener barricaded himself inside a storage facility, made threats, used a vehicle to ram doors and a law enforcement vehicle, and nearly struck two deputies with his vehicle.
Authorities said the incident escalated into a dangerous confrontation that required coordinated law enforcement response and tactical decision-making to bring the situation to a safe conclusion.
Widener was convicted in March 2026 and recently received a 48-year prison sentence.
“Suspects have so many options during law enforcement interactions. Instead of listening to deputies and working through things peacefully, this man chose violence,” said Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen. “Fortunately, our training, teamwork, and strong tactical decision-making prevailed. I’m extremely grateful that all of our people went home to their families after this call, despite the reckless actions of a dangerous individual.”
The Sheriff’s Office also credited the Weld County District Attorney’s Office for its work on the case.
The sentence closes a case that highlighted the risks law enforcement officers face during warrant service and fugitive apprehension operations across Northern Colorado.
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Attribution: Information provided by the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office.