Targeting of "Twitch": Inside Kyle Moore Officer-Involved Shooting and Crash

In our report earlier today about a deadly police shooting at a Northglenn house with three children inside, we cited the case of Kyle Moore, 21, a suspected Greeley-area identity thief who crashed at the conclusion of a police chase that followed an officer firing a shot at him near a public park.

The shooting remains under investigation at this writing. But Moore's mother, Renee Moore, is upset by what happened and thinks the injuries to her son, including a severe wound to his eye (graphic photo below), could have been avoided.

She adds that local police knew her son, with an officer even referring to him by his nickname — "Twitch" — as he walked toward his car at the outset of the incident.

"I do feel police used excessive force in this case," Renee writes via e-mail.

Our previous account was drawn in large part from police reports shared below. 

On March 31, the document notes, Greeley police officers were informed that Moore was wanted for identity theft and had three outstanding warrants in his name.


Cut to approximately 6 p.m. on April 9, when members of the Greeley Police Department's special enforcement team learned that Moore was thought to be in the area of Sanborn Park, located at 20131 28th Avenue in Greeley

He was spotted in a Jeep Cherokee a few minutes later. Officers watched Moore, accompanied by a passenger, park the vehicle in a lot on the park's northwest side.

Shortly thereafter, an officer parked his police cruiser in front of the Cherokee, stepped out, approached Moore, who was in the driver's seat, and ordered him to put his hands up.

Moore is said to have initially complied before dropping his hands, revving his engine and taking off in the officer's direction.

The officer, who had drawn his firearm and told Moore, "Don't do it" before the acceleration, stepped out of the way and fired a single shot at Moore's vehicle as it zoomed away, the affidavit maintains.

At around that time, a mom and her ten-year-old daughter were driving past the police vehicle when the woman heard a gunshot — after which the Cherokee collided with her own ride, a Jeep Wrangler. The two vehicles were briefly locked together; the Wrangler was dragged over a curb and onto a grassy median before the Cherokee broke free.


That's when a police pursuit of Moore got underway. It ended some distance away, near the intersection of 35th Avenue and Highway 34, when a Toyota Corolla smashed into the Cherokee after the latter ran a red light.

The Corolla was heavily damaged and the driver had to be transported to an area hospital for treatment of the injuries she sustained.

As for Moore, he allegedly refused to open the Cherokee's door as officers closed in, putting officers in the position of forcibly extracting him — although that's not the story Kyle told his mom. Renee quotes him as saying the door was stuck and he couldn't open it, "so they eventually shot out the window to pull him out."

He wasn't in great shape, having sustained a serious injury to his eye. "He most likely got glass in it when he flew into his windshield at fifty miles per hour unrestrained," Renee writes.

Here's a photo of the eye the next day, as shared by Renee.


In addition, Renee shares a medical report about Kyle's treatment. As you can see, it makes mention of both meth and marijuana.


The offenses mentioned on Moore's warrants include felony escape, failure to appear — larceny, failure to comply — domestic assault, failure to appear — criminal mischief, failure to appear — shoplifting, and identity theft. Renee acknowledges that he's no choir boy.

Kyle "has been in and out of jail since he was eleven for petty charges and misdemeanors," she concedes. "I'm not saying my son is innocent on all charges. He's not, and he isn't claiming to be. But he's also a young man with a lot of problems and a new father himself. His son just turned one in March. And, of course, he was confused and scared, and he knows how police are. Look what happened. They did shoot as he drove away in a park."

Her version of events, based on conversations with Kyle, differs substantially from the police report.

"He said the cop never got in front of the vehicle," Renee allows. "And he was willing to go and had his hands up when the cop pulled his gun out at the driver's window."

That's when Kyle "panicked and floored it," she continues. "He's 21, and that shit would freak out anyone, especially after he had put his hands up when they asked!! He said, 'I thought they were gonna shoot me, so I hit the gas!'"

To Renee, the officer's use of Kyle's nickname "means they knew him and that he was not dangerous....  He wasn't a violent offender. And now he has PTSD."

As such, she's mystified why the officer fired a shot at Kyle, and equally puzzled why Moore is facing a charge of child abuse for striking a vehicle with a child inside. She stresses that he was backing up to get away, not moving forward toward the SUV containing the girl and her mom.

After the accident, Moore could only see shadows and shades of gray with his injured eye and he was placed on an organ-donor list. His condition is only one reason why Renee would like to challenge the police's actions in court. However, she can't afford to hire an attorney.

"Kyle will not get a fair trial," she states. "That is how our legal system works. With no money, you have no chance at a fair or winning trial, even when evidence is everywhere around you, but no one will look at it!! The cops can do anything they want, anywhere they want, and nothing ever happens to them!!"

Here's a look at a previous booking photo of Kyle Moore, followed by the aforementioned arrest report.

Kyle Moore Affidavit

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