Denver police shot and killed an active shooter who was firing a handgun down a three-block stretch of Lincoln Street during rush hour, the police chief said in a news conference.
According to CBS Local, the man was wearing a trench coat and was seen “harassing drivers along Lincoln.”
Kelly Werthmann, of CBS Local, wrote on Twitter: “Minutes ago there was an active shooter just outside the @CBSDenver studio. We heard the gunshots and saw police arrive quickly. Lincoln is SHUT DOWN, our building is taped off. @DenverPolice rerouting traffic as they investigate.”
Dago Cordova, a CBS morning producer, also described the frightening scene, writing on Twitter, “While with @makenziepokeefe outside, we heard a guy yelling. She saw a man with a gun & we ran inside the @CBSDenver building. Crazy. Suspect is down. Adrenaline is going but we’re good #CBS4Mornings.”
The incident started around 7:10 a.m. during rush hour. “The situation here is resolved,” Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen said in the July 1, 2019 news conference. “We had an disturbance near 8th and Lincoln. An armed individual fired at least a couple rounds between there and this location,” he said. The man was shot and killed by police at 11th and Lincoln. The incident occurred just a couple blocks from the Colorado State Capitol. The shooting also occurred near the CBS4 station.
Citizens called the police “and let us know what was going on,” Pazen said, praising the quick response by citizens and officers. “Any time you have an individual who is armed firing a weapon here in the city during rush hour traffic, it’s a very dangerous situation. I want to commend our officers for going into a dangerous situation,” the chief said. The name of the suspect, and his motive, were not released.
Here’s what you need to know:
The Suspect Fired Rounds Before Officers ‘Engaged’ Him, the Chief Says
Officers responded very quickly, and they engaged the armed suspect, and they resolved the situation, according to the police chief.
He confirmed that the suspect is dead. “The suspect was armed. The suspect had fired a couple of rounds,” Pazen said.
He said he wanted to thank the community for calling 911 to “get our officers here at the scene to keep our community safe. I want to thank the brave officers who engaged this armed suspect and resolved this situation. This is very preliminary in the investigation. We will have far more details as we get those.”
Only one suspect was involved in the incident, and “we feel this situation is completely resolved. The community is safe,” said Pazen.
Police want people to send them any video they have of the incident. “We want any and all video from this incident. This occurred during rush hour traffic,” said the chief. He said the suspect was armed with a handgun.
“Officers responded very quickly. This entire situation was completely resolved in less than five minutes. That’s pretty fast. We didn’t let an armed suspect get anywhere. The individual was confronted,” said Pazen.
Police wrote on Twitter: “ROAD CLOSED: Lincoln is closed from 7th to 12th while officers investigate the officer involved shooting. Use alternate route.”