Manhunt in Officer’s Killing Scaled Back

Searchers scaled back their hunt for two armed fugitives in the remote red rock canyons of Colorado and Utah, and officials stressed that the men were mainly a threat to law enforcement officers--not civilians. But Cortez City Manager Bill Ray said the decision to pull back the hundreds of searchers left many residents wondering how to protect themselves. The manhunt began May 29 in Cortez, after three men killed police officer Dale Claxton, who pulled them over in a stolen water truck. More than 500 officers joined in at the height of the search, and authorities established roadblocks and brought in the FBI, the National Guard and search dogs. The number of searchers now has dwindled to several dozen.