This list compiles all officer-involved shootings in Colorado since Jan. 1, 2019. For the purposes of this list, an officer-involved shooting is defined as an incident where a police officer and/or suspect discharges a firearm.
There were at least 59 officer-involved shootings in Colorado in 2019. Thirty-seven people were killed in those shootings.
Updated August 4, 2020 @ 1 p.m.
December
December 19 — Lakewood police shot and killed an armed man after a fire broke out in a home. Police were responding to reports of a disturbance in a duplex, according to the police department. A 47-year-old suspect refused to come out or communicate with officers. Officers entered the home when they saw smoke coming out and shots were fired, authorities said. The fire was extinguished and the man was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. Neither the man nor the officer has been identified.
December 6 — Police shot and killed 23-year-old Hunter Lowry in Westminster after a chase both in cars and on foot. Lowry allegedly robbed several auto parts stores armed with a knife, officials said. According to the district attorney's decision letter published in May 2020, Lowry fled from police in a car and crashed, then ran away. Police pursued and tased Lowry but he reached for a gun so the officers fired, killing him. District Attorney Dave Young determined that no charges will be filed against the four police officers from three different departments who fired their weapons.
December 5 — A Colorado State Patrol trooper shot and killed 58-year-old Alvern Walker. Officials said a traffic stop at around 8 p.m. quickly turned into shots being fired. The trooper was not injured. A witness said Walker waved a gun around outside the U-Haul he was driving after the traffic stop, and that when Walker pointed it at the trooper he was shot. The fifth judicial district attorney decided in February 2020 that no charges would be filed against Trooper Joel Juenke. The DA's office said it determined Juenke's actions were justified.
December 2 — Fort Lupton police Sgt. Christopher Pelton and suspect Matthew Cotter of Lochbuie were seriously injured in a police shooting late on Dec. 2. Both are in critical condition. Police responded to a call about someone with a gun trying to get into a home, according to Weld County officials. When they approached the house, a suspect shot at them striking an officer. Police returned fire injuring the suspect. Both were transported by helicopter to the hospital.
November
November 30 — Officials say the man who died after being contacted by a Loveland Police officer killed himself. The Larimer County Coroner's Office concluded that 40-year-old David Matthew Harper died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head and classified his death as a suicide. The shooting happened after Harper was involved in a rollover crash. The Larimer County Sheriff's Office says he was holding a pistol when the officer arrived and fired, prompting the officer to fire back.
November 29 — One man is dead after a car chase involving an alleged stolen vehicle. Adams County Sheriff's Office deputies attempted to stop the vehicle in the early morning hours near Watkins, Colo. A preliminary investigation found that the driver allegedly fired at deputies several times before the suspect was shot. The man was identified as Keith Alan Bruce, 40, of Westminster. No deputies were injured. District Attorney Dave Young announced in May 2020 that the officer, identified as Deputy Kyle Bacon, was legally justified in using his firearm when he shot Bruce.
November 24 — At least one officer shot and injured a man while responding to a disturbance in Estes Park. A Larimer County Sheriff's deputy and a police officer learned a woman was trapped inside a house where a man was shooting a gun, according to the Larimer County Sheriff's office. When officers arrived at about 2:45 a.m. and approached the man, shots were fired, officials said. The suspect, later identified as 54-year-old Edward Daniel Seguin, was injured and flown to the hospital for treatment. No deputies were injured. Seguin was released from the hospital following treatment is now in police custody. Police said he was booked into the Larimer County Jail. Seguin is being investigated on several charges including possession of a weapon by a previous offender and domestic violence.
November 23 — Police officers responding to a domestic disturbance in Pueblo shot and killed a man. Officers could hear the confrontation when they arrived at the residence just after 10:30 p.m. Saturday, according to Pueblo Sgt. Franklyn Ortega. He said officers forced their way into the residence and shot and killed the man. The Pueblo County coroner identified the man Sunday as 24-year-old Estevon Cruz of Pueblo. Four officers were placed on paid administrative leave while the case was investigated. The officers were cleared of any wrongdoing in April 2020. District Attorney Jeff Chostner determined the officers were justified in their actions by the self-defense and defense of others provisions under Colorado law. Chostner said Cruz pointed a gun at officers inside the home, and officers responded with gunfire. Investigators later determined Cruz had a nonlethal BB gun, but officers were unable to know that, Chostner said.
November 14 — One suspect is dead and another suspect and a police officer are injured after a shooting in Greeley. Police responded to a call for shots fired from one vehicle at another, according to Weld county officials. When police found the vehicle, two suspects — one man and one woman — got out of the vehicle and shot at officers, officials said. The driver was later identified as 40-year-old Russel Cooley. The passenger was his girlfriend Maria Lerma. Lerma was shot in the leg by police and Cooley fled into a residence where he was later found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, according to police. A toxicology report found a significant amount of methamphetamine in his system. Crime scene investigators found 55 shots fired from Cooley's firearm. The injured Greeley officer underwent surgery and a bullet was removed from his right arm. He is expected to fully recover. Investigators found 19 bullet holes in his patrol vehicle. Lerma also underwent surgery but her condition is unknown because she stopped cooperating with investigators, authorities said. The Weld County District Attorney said in a decision letter published Jan. 7 that officers were justified in using deadly force against the couple. The DA also decided not to release the names of the officers in this case.
November 11 — A woman is dead and a police officer injured after an officer-involved shooting in Loveland. According to a police news release, Loveland officers were investigating a possible homicide when a SWAT team entered a residence and encountered a female suspect. Gunfire was exchanged, the woman was struck and pronounced dead at the scene, police said. A male officer sustained minor injuries and was released by paramedics.
November 11 — Lakewood Police shot and killed a man Monday during a confrontation. Police said they were trying to find a 22-year-old suspect with multiple violent felony warrants. An officer confronted the armed suspect when he tried to flee a home through a basement window. The officer then told him to drop his weapon, but the suspect refused, according to police officials. The officer fired several shots, they said. Police said they attempted CPR before the man was taken to the hospital. He was later pronounced dead. The officer is set to be placed on administrative leave.
November 7 — Jefferson County SWAT officers shot a suspect through the front door of a home as they were serving a warrant. The incident was part of organized crime raids happening across the state. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives says 19 search warrants were executed in Denver, Colorado Springs and Weld County. The suspect was taken to a hospital with a non-life-threatening injury, according to the JeffCo Sheriff's Office.
November 1 — Police shot and killed someone in Denver following a hostage situation, according to the Adams County Sheriff's Office. Members of the Special Crimes Attack Team and the FBI were attempting to arrest a fugitive, officials said. The fugitive suspect was struck by police gunfire and was killed.
October
October 27 — Lakewood police shot a man after they say he refused to drop a weapon in a driveway at the Villa Rose Apartments near 6th Avenue and Kipling Street after they responded to a disturbance call. It's unclear what weapon the man had. Police say the man was transported to a nearby hospital. His condition is unknown.
October 21 — A suspect in an attempted carjacking was killed after he stole a police car and took a police rifle from inside the vehicle, according to Denver police. An officer identified the carjacking suspect near 6th Ave. and Santa Fe Drive. The officer then got out of his car and chased the suspect. Police said the suspect then circled back, got in the police vehicle and drove away. Police confronted the suspect near I-25 where shots were exchanged. Police hit the man with 15 bullets. The suspect was killed. The man was identified as 36-year-old Adam Martinez. Denver District Attorney Beth McCann decided in August 2020 that the three officers involved would not be charged. The officers involved were Denver officers Ismael Lopez, Vincent Vasquez and John Allred.
October 20 — An Aurora police officer shot and injured a man in the parking lot of an apartment complex. Officers said they responded to reports of a knife fight and shots fired in the area. Officer Joseph Carns arrived at the scene and proceeded down an alley between two buildings and found two women in the parking lot, according to a district attorney's decision letter published in April 2020. The women ran past Carns yelling that a man had a gun. Carns then saw a man, later identified as Oscar Lucio-Vazquez, crawling out of a broken, garden-level window. According to authorities, Carns saw Lucio-Vazquez holding an assault-style rifle, yelled at him to drop the gun but he did not. Carns fired his weapon five times, striking Lucio-Vazquez. He was taken to the hospital in serious condition and was later released. District Attorney George Brauchler determined Carns was justified in his actions. No criminal charges will be filed against him.
October 10 — An Aurora police officer shot and injured a man. He was later identified as 22-year-old Andy Huff. Police said he was armed. Officers responded to a residence to investigate reports of an assault. A man said he was assaulted by Huff and claimed Huff had multiple firearms. Four officers approached the home where the assault allegedly took place and saw Huff quickly enter the home, according to police. He then appeared in a large window with a rifle. Officials said one of the officers, Alexander Ord, ordered Huff to put his hands up but Huff did not respond to commands. Ord reported he was afraid Huff was going to shoot at officers so he fired his service weapon five times. Huff was hit once in the right buttock. He was transported to The Medical Center of Aurora where he was treated. District Attorney George Brauchler released a letter in April 2020 following the investigation. He determined no criminal charges should be filed against Ord and that Ord was acting in self-defense. The letter said the officers did not announce “police” before knocking on the front door. All four officers believed Huff knew the police were present.
September
September 29 — Monument police shot and killed a man who was shooting at pedestrians, passing cars and police with what a witness said was a BB gun. El Paso County Sheriff's Office SWAT Unit officers in Monument shot 20-year-old David Page, according to the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office. The deputies fired after seeing Page point what appeared to be a firearm in their direction, according to a decision letter published Jan. 2, 2020. Page was shot three times and pronounced dead at the scene. The DA's office decided no criminal charges will be filed against two police officers who fatally shot Page, who was barricaded in his home with a pellet gun.
September 26 — A police officer in the north Denver suburb of Westminster shot and injured a man Thursday morning. Officers responded to a call from a woman who said her husband had stolen her handgun and threatened to kill her, according to Westminster authorities. The officers arrived to find a man pulling the woman out of an apartment at gunpoint, and one officer fired a weapon, police said. The man was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition, according to a department spokesperson.
September 20 — Lakewood police shot and killed a man at the Lakewood Police Station at 445 S. Allison Parkway. When police arrived at the station, a man and a woman were arguing, police said in a release. The man, Scott Johnson, 57, had a handgun and was shot by police, they said. He later died at a hospital. The involved officers are on administrative leave.
September 15 — Police in a north Denver suburb shot and injured a man inside a home while a SWAT team was serving a search warrant, according to the Westminster Police Department. Officers encountered a man they say had a gun. They fired, striking the man. Police have not released information on the man's condition.
August
August 15 — Denver Police shot and fatally injured a woman just before midnight. Officers approached a "vehicle of interest" at Colfax Avenue and Perry Street when one of the two occupants, later identified as Jamie Fernandez, 31, got out and fled down an alleyway, according to Division Cheif of Patrol Ron Thomas. Officers pursued, then Fernandez turned and fired at officers, he said at a news briefing. Police returned fire and struck her. Thomas said a "significant" number of rounds were exchanged. She later died at the Denver Health Medical Center. The other suspect, Justin Lucero, is in custody. No officers were injured. Officials said the officers have been put on modified duty. Police did not offer more information about what made the vehicle suspicious. The Denver Office of the Medical Examiner determined the cause of death was from multiple gunshot wounds and was ruled it a homicide. In July 2020, Denver's District Attorney decided not to file charges against the police officers. Beth McCann said the shooting of Jamie Fernandez was legally justified and that no criminal charges are warranted against Denver Police Officer Ismael Lopez or Corporal Brandon Reyes.
August 7 — A Costilla County Sheriff's deputy was shot multiple times while responding to a burglary call in the Sangre de Cristo Ranches, according to the Costilla County Sheriff's Office. It's unclear how or why the deputy was shot. The deputy was transported to the San Luis Valley hospital in stable condition.
August 5 — Rifle Police shot and killed Allan George, 57, on the Colorado River Bridge during a traffic stop. Police said he was wanted on an active warrant as a sex offender. George refused to drop a weapon before attempting to walk away when officers shot him, officials said. No officers were injured. Denver attorney David Lane said he would file a federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of George's family because he said the officers were not justified in the shooting. The 9th Judicial District Attorney announced Nov. 6 that the officer who shot George, Cpl. Dewey Ryan, would not face any charges.
August 3 — A Colorado Springs police officer shot and killed a robbery suspect. Police said the man reached for a gun in his waistband when confronted by officers. However, some people in the community said he was actually running away from police when he was shot.
July
July 31 — Denver police shot a man near 26th and Curtis streets after responding to a report of a person trying to open doors in the neighborhood late July 31. A man fled after officers tried to contact him, according to police. They said the man shot at an officer, who returned that fire and wounded him. No officers were injured and the man's injuries are unknown.
July 23 — Three Colorado Springs police officers were involved in a shooting that killed 38-year-old Joshua Vigil, according to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office. Vigil was shot after he fled in a vehicle from officers after they responded to a call of a man walking with a gun in the 2200 block of Monterey Road, police said. The three officers, later identified as Sgt. Mark Keller and Officers Lucas Aragon and Cole Jones, were placed on administrative leave. The autopsy report released on Sept. 9 found 20 gunshot wounds on Vigil's body. The report by the El Paso County Coroner’s Office concluded that he died of gunshot wounds to his head, back, chest, stomach and foot. The toxicology report also found that Vigil had alcohol, methamphetamine, amphetamine and benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, in his system when he died.
July 18 — A man was shot and killed by Pueblo police during a domestic disturbance call. Patrick Martinez, 53, was shot when he tried to attack officers with a knife after they arrived at the scene, according to police. He died at a nearby hospital. According to a news release, no officers were injured in the shooting.
July 4 — A suspect in the death of a woman in Denver died after police shot him during a chase, Denver Police said. Denver police chasing the man forced him to stop after a crash with a police car around 4 a.m. in Lakewood. Authorities said the man, who has not been identified, ran and began shooting at officers continuing to pursue him on foot. The officers fired back. The man died at a hospital. No officers were hurt.
July 1 — A man who fired at least a couple of shots along a busy Denver street during the morning commute is dead after being shot by police. Police responded after getting reports the man was causing a disturbance on a Regional Transportation District bus, according to Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen. Officials said the man smashed the bus windshield. After the man was told to get off the RTD bus, he started walking toward downtown, Pazen said, and fired at least two shots in the air before pointing his handgun at one of the Denver police officers who was following him. The officer, later identified as Corporal Scott Mattos, shot the man twice. Police identified the man as 22-year-old Christopher Barela. A police spokesperson said the Mattos fired three times. The Denver District Attorney released a report Dec. 18 that said the Mattos was acting in self-defense.
June
June 28 — An investigation is underway after police in southern Colorado shot and killed a homicide suspect following a chase and a brief standoff. The suspect, whose name hasn't been released, was spotted driving Friday afternoon and led officers on a chase that ended at a mobile home park. Pueblo Police Capt. Kenny Rider says a standoff in one of the homes lasted about an hour before "one thing led to another and shots were fired." Six officers fired at the armed suspect, who died at the scene. He's thought to have shot 23-year-old Wayne Riddock to death the morning of June 25.
June 18 — Colorado authorities say police fatally shot Michael Sheridan, 34, after he shot at officers trying to arrest him on several warrants. The exchange of gunfire occurred at an apartment complex in Jefferson County, southwest of Denver. Jefferson County Sheriff's Office spokesman Mike Taplin said a regional task force tracked him from Denver to the apartment complex. Taplin said the county's SWAT team was asked to help with the arrest on warrants for felony menacing, third-degree assault and weapon possession by a previous offender. He said Sheridan fired at police first and officers shot back, fatally wounding him.
June 14 — Grand Junction police shot a 29-year-old man who was walking with a handgun on a road after they responded to a report of a suicidal male. Police say when officers approached the man, a confrontation occurred and they shot him. Officials say he was transported to an area hospital and was treated for his injuries. Authorities later cleared the officers in the shooting and identified the man as Spencer Shanley. He was later arrested and charged with two counts of attempted second-degree murder.
June 8 — A Colorado police officer shot and wounded a man who was reported holding a road flare near a methanol tank. Authorities say the incident occurred about 9 a.m. in rural Weld County after police responded to a call about a suspicious person. Police say they encountered a man who refused to comply with their verbal commands. After less lethal attempts against the man were ineffective, a Greeley police officer fired his weapon at the suspect who was taken to a nearby hospital. Police declined to release the identity and condition of the suspect.
May
May 19 — Police in Trinidad shot and killed a man after he tried to flee from officers. Authorities said Trinidad Police responded to a convenience store in response to a call of a suspicious person just after 8 p.m. When officers attempted to speak with a suspect, identified as Lawrence Lee Lovato, 46, he got into his pickup truck and tried to elude police. Officials said after officers stopped the vehicle, Lovato brandished a handgun. Three Trinidad officers and one Las Animas County Sheriff's deputy fired multiple shots and killed Lovato. They were placed on administrative leave pending the investigation, per policies of the agencies. Colorado Bureau of Investigation agents are investigating.
May 18 — Colorado Springs Police shot and killed a man after responding to a domestic disturbance in northern Colorado Springs. Police received a call from a woman who said the man, later identified as 29-year-old Sean Michael Collins, hit her with a shotgun, tried to take her infant daughter and threatened to kill her, according to the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office. The Tactical Enforcement Unit was activated and responded to the scene. Collins barricaded himself inside an apartment and shot at officers, the El Paso County Sheriff's Office said. Colorado Springs SWAT officer Christopher Laabs shot and killed Collins when he was forced out of the apartment with chemicals. The District Attorney's Office ruled Sept. 30 that Laabs acted reasonably and was justified to use deadly force. Collins died at the scene and no officers were injured.
April
April 29 — Loveland police shot a man suspected of robbing a Subway sandwich shop. Authorities said they received several calls about an armed robbery at the shop and a description of the suspect. A man matching the description, later identified as Gavin David Gamez, 19, of Loveland, was spotted by police about three blocks away from the Subway. One officer fired at the Gamez, who was taken to the Medical Center of the Rockies for treatment. Gamez was released from the hospital on April 30. He was then arrested and booked into jail, according to the Larimer County Sheriff's Office. No police officers were injured. The officer involved in the shooting was placed on administrative leave according to department policy.
April 29 — Two Lakewood police officers shot a man who was allegedly wielding a knife and threatening people. Denver's District Attorney Beth McCann decided July 22 that the shooting was warranted and no criminal charges were filed against the officers. According to the decision letter, the officers responded to 911 reports of a man with a large knife. When officers contacted the suspect, identified as Alfredo Vallejos, 47, he didn't respond to police orders and ran away. Officers tazed the man. The letter said Tracey Lee then fired four shots and Joshua Guerra fired two. Guerra told investigators he thought Vallejos was going to try to stab Lee. Vallejos was hit with five or six bullets. He was taken to a local hospital where he recovered from his injuries. Vallejos told authorities he was sober at the time of the incident and he hoped police would kill him.
April 27 — Pueblo police shot and killed Daniel Gurule, 31, of Pueblo after he pointed a gun at officers, according to a news release. The shooting occurred at about 3:30 a.m. Saturday after a standoff at a house. Police said Gurule fled to the house after a traffic stop Friday night. According to police, he had a handgun and refused to leave the house after hours of negotiation. After officers detonated a device similar to a stun grenade, Gurule ran from the house and pointed the handgun at officers. Eight officers opened fire. Gurule died at the scene.
April 26 — A Westminster police officer shot and killed a man after responding to reports that someone was acting erratically and throwing rocks outside an apartment complex. Officer Richard Fletcher said when he arrived, the suspect immediately attacked him, punched him in the face and tried to grab his gun, according to a decision letter from District Attorney Dave Young. The suspect, who was only identified as male, was shot and was pronounced dead at a hospital. Young announced Aug. 15 in his letter that no criminal charges will be brought against Officer Fletcher. Young said he was justified to use deadly force to defend himself.
April 24 — Colorado Springs police shot and killed a 29-year-old Jonathan Patzel after responding to a domestic disturbance at an apartment building on the Hancock Expressway. Upon arrival, officers observed smoke coming from the suspect's apartment. According to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, when officers contacted the suspect, he brandished a weapon and began moving towards the officers and shots were fired. The fire in the apartment was related to the disturbance call and was human-caused. Patzel was transported to the hospital where he later died. The officers, later identified as Colton Graham and Thomas Walling, were placed on routine administrative leave.
April 10 — Denver police exchanged gunfire with a suspected carjacker and shot him in the shoulder during a chase early in the morning in northeast Denver. The suspect, identified as Anthony Solano Vasquez, 19, shot himself in the temple after a crash as the police officers were about to arrest him, according to the medical examiner. Two other suspected carjackers were also arrested. The Denver police department said all three suspects were young men, who fled a stolen SUV from Aurora when it crashed. Officers tracked down the three suspects and one of the alleged carjackers turned opened fire, shooting his gun at police — who returned fire — hitting him in the shoulder. According to a decision letter by Denver District Attorney Beth McCann, the officer who shot Solano Vasquez in the shoulder, Andrew Nielsen, was justified. No criminal charges were brought against him.
April 9 — Pueblo police officers shot and killed 28-year-old Michael Wray Hensley of Pueblo. Officers Jonathan Bell and Julee Burns encountered the man around 11:30 p.m. during a routine patrol and pursued him when he ran. They said Hensley fired a handgun at the officers during the chase, hitting Officer Bell. The gunshot wounds caused extensive damage to Bell’s legs. Both officers returned fire and fatally injured Hensley, who died at the scene. Bell underwent surgery at a hospital in Colorado Springs and was still hospitalized as of April 17. The district attorney announced Jan. 14, 2020 that no criminal charges would be filed against the officers and that they were justified in their actions.
March
March 23 — A man who was shot four times by Mesa County sheriff's deputies on Saturday died by suicide, according to the coroner's office. Keith Boggs, 36, of Grand Junction, died of a self-inflicted shotgun blast to the head, according to a news release from the Mesa County Coroner’s Office. According to authorities, the sheriff's deputies fired multiple times during a confrontation with Boggs, who was holding a shotgun outside the residence when they arrived. Authorities said Boggs fled back into the residence, where he was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The coroner described the other four gunshot wounds as nonfatal.
March 11 — A man shot by Lakewood police died after a chase. According to police, officers shot the man, identified as 51-year-old Anthony Montoya, after responding to reports of shots at a home near the Sanderson Creek area. Police said Montoya led them on a short chase, during which he was shot. He crashed a car into several homes and was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
March 4 — An Aurora police officer shot and killed a man wielding a machete at an apartment building. A spokesperson said officers responded to reports of a possible hostage situation just before 9 a.m. near the intersection of Dallas Street and 22nd Avenue. An officer shot the suspect, identified by the Adam's County Coroner's Office as Shamikle Jackson, 22, who was transported to a hospital where he later died. No officers were injured. The Adams County District Attorney said in June that the officer who shot Jackson was justified in the shooting.
February
February 28 — A Lone Tree officer shot and killed a male shoplifting suspect at Park Meadows Mall. Officers chased a man after responding to the Macy's store there on reports of a shoplifting. Police say the man pulled a gun and that Officers Charles Miller and Andrew Montes fired, killing him. Douglas County Coroner’s Office identified the man as Kenneth Joseph Sisneros, 34, of Westminster. A female suspect, identified as Mercedes Cruz, 27, was later arrested by Lone Tree police. The district attorney announced Oct. 7 that no charges should be filed against the officers. George Brauchler determined the officers acted according to Colorado law and were justified.
February 25 — Multiple officers shot and killed David Litton, 40, in the hallway of an apartment building at 12th and Galapago in Denver. Officers responded to a report of a man threatening another with a gun around 10 p.m. Police say an hour after they responded Litton approached police with what looked like a black handgun. He was then shot. Litton was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead; no officers were wounded. Denver's District Attorney announced July 2 that no charges would be filed. The DA said the officers were legally justified. The Denver officers were identified as Dan Felkins, Brian Holm and Adam Van Volkinburg.
February 12 — Two Denver police officers shot a man they said was involved in a domestic dispute in Montbello. Police said Juan Sanchez Jimenez, 26, was threatening a woman with a gun when they arrived after receiving a 911 call. Police then shot the man several times. Sanchez Jimenez was hospitalized with several wounds but was expected to live. One of the officers was also hospitalized with a hearing-related injury from the sound of the gunshots. The officers involved were not immediately identified.
February 6 — Early in the morning of Feb. 6, an officer with the LaSalle Police Department responded to reports of a suspicious vehicle and was involved in a shooting. The shooting resulted in the death of Seth Keo Mallard, 20. The officer involved in the shooting was uninjured and has not been identified. A subsequent investigation determined the officer was justified in discharging his weapon, according to Weld County District Attorney Michael Rourke.
February 1 — A Jefferson County Sheriff's Deputy shot and killed a male suspect and wounded a female driver. The Denver Office of the Medical Examiner identified the man as 45-year-old Robert Martinez and the woman as 35-year-old Sandra Pacheco. A federal task force that included U.S. Marshals and local law enforcement was attempting to contact Martinez who was a passenger in a vehicle. He was wanted on a federal warrant for a probation violation. Police say he failed to comply with orders to surrender. No law enforcement agents were hurt. Denver police officers responded to the incident afterward and will lead the investigation.
January
January 27 — Two Denver Police officers, Richard Jaramillo and Steve Gameroz, were shot and a SWAT officer was injured while responding to a call of shots fired at a house near downtown Denver. The officers were reported to be in fair condition, and other officers used a chemical agent before taking a suspect into custody who had barricaded himself, police said. Firefighters later battled a fire at the house. The suspect, Joseph Quintana, 35, shot and killed himself, the Denver coroner's office ruled.
January 23 — A Colorado Springs officer shot and injured an armed man, whom police identified as Thomas McGeorge, 32, after responding to reports of shots fired. McGeorge was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. After he was released from the hospital, he was arrested on suspicion of two counts of felony menacing, third-degree assault, prohibited use of a weapon and reckless endangerment. Officials identified Max Nevarez and Mathew Waldera as the officers involved in the incident. They have not specified which officer fired the shot that injured McGeorge.
January 16 — A LaSalle police officer shot off-duty Adams County sheriff's deputy, Jesse Jenson, 41, in Evans after a police chase. He later died. A Weld County grand jury decided May 6 not file charges against the LaSalle officer, identified as Caroline Persichetti. The grand jury's report did not say why Jenson was chasing another car in rural northern Colorado at more than 90 miles per hour. It said Persichetti shot Jenson when he exited his car at an intersection and came toward her, ignoring commands to stop. Persichetti told grand jurors she could not see Jenson's left hand and believed he had a gun. Investigators later found he was unarmed. Grand jurors said in the report that they did not find probable cause of a crime.
January 16 — Shawn Joseph Billinger, 46, died after he was fatally shot by a Fort Lupton police officer responding to a disturbance call. In early March 2019, Weld County District Attorney Michael Rourke referred the case to a grand jury for investigation. The officer, identified as Zachary Helbig, was charged with one count of manslaughter in April 2019. The Class 4 felony could get him up to six years in prison if he is convicted. The trial began Feb. 11, 2020. Rourke said the jury will have to decide if Helbig acted appropriately in his decision to shoot Billinger. Rourke said Billinger was, "a man in crisis." Helbig's defense argued Billinger was a threat, being both physically much larger than Helbig and armed.
January 16 — Englewood Police shot 26-year-old Chayley Nicole Tolin in a parking garage near Swedish Medical Center. Police said they were trying to apprehend the two occupants of a stolen vehicle in the parking garage when Tolin tried to run over three officers with the car as she fled. Authorities said two officers fired their weapons. Tolin was seriously wounded and the passenger was arrested. She was later charged in Arapahoe County District Court with 12 felonies, including two counts of first-degree attempted murder. District Attorney George Brauchler decided July 23 that the officers, identified as Sam Ayres and Ryan Kaspar, were justified in their actions. No charges were filed against them.
January 15 — Aurora Police fatally shot a man, Esmond Drauvon Trimble, 42, at a home in Aurora. District Attorney George Brauchler announced Aug. 7 that no criminal charges will be filed against the two officers, identified as Zachary Ploch and David Kaufman. Brauchler said the officers acted in self-defense. Aurora police were responding to a report of an armed individual holding another person in the home, according to Brauchler's decision letter. Police told investigators Trimble was armed with two handguns and wearing body armor. He pointed his guns at the officers and opened fire, killing the other man, identified as Dean Heerdt, 58, Brauchler said.
January 14 — A Frisco police officer shot and injured Derek Baker, 33, of Loveland, after responding to a report of a disturbance at Whole Foods. Police said Baker was acting erratically and "threatened the officer’s personal safety with the vehicle he was driving." Baker's sister, Brittany Baker, said her brother had battled mental illness for years.
January 13 — A Pueblo County sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a man, Amiliano Apodaca, 18, and shot a woman, Alicia Antonia Martinez, 20, in Pueblo West after chasing a car from Fremont County. Police said the car the pair was in had earlier struck a vehicle driven by a Fremont County Sheriff’s Deputy. Shots were fired when Martinez drove the vehicle toward officers. Martinez was transported to a hospital with serious injuries. She was later arrested on a warrant for second-degree assault on a peace officer, four counts of vehicular eluding and a restraining order violation. She was booked into the Pueblo County Jail.
January 12 — Colorado Springs Police fatally shot a man, Bill Akes, 48, during a struggle after contacting Akes as he sat in a suspected stolen vehicle in an apartment complex. The El Paso County Sheriff's Office said Akes was armed with a hatchet. Police identified Brock Lofgren as the officer involved in the incident.
January 12 — A suspect shot by Fort Collins police died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A police officer, Keith Hunter, shot suspect Joshua Moore, 36, in the lower extremities, but the coroner determined Moore died after shooting himself. The Larimer County District Attorney's Office found no wrongdoing by Hunter.
January 10 — An off-duty Westminster police officer shot and wounded a man in the parking lot of the Orchard Town Center after a disturbance between the man and a woman. Police said the man struck an officer with his vehicle and another off-duty police officer shot the man, whose name has not been released. The female subject was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries from the initial disturbance.
January 9 — A Pueblo police officer shot and wounded Coda Hutton-Hayes, 18, after attempting to stop a suspected stolen Subaru. Another suspect fled the scene in a black Volkswagen. Police say the suspected stolen Subaru struck a police officer before another officer fired into the car, wounding Hutton-Hayes. After he was released from the hospital, he was booked into the Pueblo County Detention Center on various charges, including motor vehicle theft. The driver of the Volkswagen, who was identified as 21-year-old Simon Eugene “Elijah” Gurule, Jr., was arrested Jan. 10 after a five-hour standoff.
