DRAGNET: HUNT SUSPECT IN 'TARGETED' PARK RANGER KNIFE ATTACK; RANGER EXPECTED TO SURVIVE

UPDATE

Police launched a dragnet - by air and by land -Tuesday for an armed and dangerous suspect in a "targeted" knife attack on a park ranger at Staunton State Park in Jefferson County, officials said.

The ranger, a seasonal employee of Colorado Parks & Wildlife, was rushed to hospital by medevac helicopter and is expected to survive, reports said. He called for help by radio but was out of range of dispatchers at times. Authorities evacuated the park and nearby homes but allowed resident to return late in the day. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said in an evening news update: "We have reason to believe this was a targeted attack and there is no ongoing threat to the community. Residents are allowed to return home. The two persons of interest have been cleared and are not involved today’s incident." The sheriff's office said the suspect is a white man in his early 30s with brown hair, 6 feet in height, weighing 200 pounds. He was wearing a plain grey shirt and blue jeans. The man has no facial hair. He was armed with a knife.

Colorado Parks & Wildlife describes Staunton State Park as "diverse landscapes, ranging from grassy meadows at 8,100 feet to granite cliffs over 10,000 feet."

[Photo: Jefferson County Sheriff's Office]