Lakewood, Colorado, Police Officer Killed and Three More Wounded When Suspect Opened Fire Near a Bus, Fox News Reports
Police say officers approached a suspicious person trying to board an RTD bus at Colfax and Wadsworth. The suspect fired within seconds, hitting four officers. One died. The suspect was shot dead and a civilian was hurt. Gov. Polis called it heartbreaking.
A police officer was killed and three others wounded in a shooting outside Denver on Thursday evening, Fox News reports.
What happened. Lakewood police said officers answered a report of a suspicious person near Colfax Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard at about 6:30 p.m. They found a suspect trying to board a Regional Transportation District bus. Police spokesman John Romero said that "within seconds of agents approaching the suspect, the suspect opened fire on our agents," and four were hit. Lakewood calls its officers agents.
The toll. One officer died of the wounds, Romero said. The suspect was shot by police and pronounced dead at the scene. A civilian was also hurt and taken to a hospital. Police did not immediately say how badly the three surviving officers or the civilian were hurt.
The response. Romero spoke to the dead officer's family: "We just want the family to know that we love them, that we're here for them, and Lakewood Police Department is a family." Gov. Jared Polis said he was "heartbroken" and thanked officers who "run into danger to keep us safe." He said the Colorado State Patrol was helping at the scene and joined a procession from the hospital honoring the fallen officer. RTD said it was "deeply concerned." The Jefferson County Critical Incident Response Team is leading the investigation, with help from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
Why it matters here. Police deaths in the line of duty are part of our public safety coverage. The shooting is still being investigated, and nothing so far connects it to a larger pattern.
What we could not check. Fox does not name the officer who died, the wounded officers or the suspect, and police have not said why the suspect was flagged or what prompted the shooting. We did not see body camera or bus video. Details may change as the investigation continues.