Lakewood police confirm officer killed, three others shot in bus shootout
A suspect died after exchanging gunfire with officers at a West Colfax and Wadsworth intersection, while one bystander sustained injuries.
By Madison Darwish ·
One Lakewood police officer died and three others were hospitalized following a gunfight with a suspect on an RTD bus on Wednesday evening. The incident forced the closure of a major intersection and resulted in the death of the shooter and one injured bystander.
Lakewood Police Public Information agent John Romero announced the details at a news conference near 9:30 p.m. Officers responded to the intersection of West Colfax Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard after receiving reports of a suspicious individual boarding a bus. When law enforcement approached the suspect, he opened fire. Officers returned fire and hit the suspect, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Four Lakewood police agents were struck by bullets during the exchange. All four were transported to nearby hospitals for treatment. One civilian bystander was also injured and taken to the hospital. Romero stated that the investigation remains ongoing and that further details will be released as they become available.
Patrick Dickman, a witness inside a nearby Easy Pawn shop, told CBS Colorado that he heard 13 shots fired after a car rear-ended the bus. He described seeing officers surround the rear of the vehicle and fire into it. Dickman also noted that approximately five ambulances departed the scene shortly after the shooting.
CommonSpirit St. Anthony Hospital confirmed it was treating one patient with non-life-threatening injuries but did not specify the patient's role. A doctor at Denver Health confirmed that one of the four patients admitted there was not a police officer. RTD stated in a statement that the incident occurred on Route 76 and that the agency is fully cooperating with police. The transit authority reported no current impacts to service.
Police closed the intersection at Bannock Street and N. Speer Boulevard outside of Denver Health. A large presence of officers from multiple Metro Area agencies gathered at the location. Gov. Jared Polis released a statement expressing heartbreak over the officer killed in the line of duty. He offered thoughts for the family of the fallen officer and for the three agents receiving care, along with the wounded civilian.
The suspect was identified only as a male who boarded the RTD-contracted bus. The specific cause of death for the officer and the extent of injuries to the other three officers have not been detailed in the initial public release. The area remained under heavy police supervision through the night.
