Woman with handgun inside SUV shot, killed by Westminster police officer

A woman with a handgun in an SUV was shot and killed by a Westminster police officer late Tuesday afternoon near the border of Westminster and Arvada.  

According to Westminster police, the officer who fired his gun was on routine patrol in the 8800 block of Lamar Street when he saw a silver SUV parked facing westbound in eastbound lanes of 88th Avenue. 

When the officer walked up to the driver in the vehicle, Westminster police reports she was armed with a handgun, and the officer shot her. She was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. 

The woman was the only person inside the SUV at the time of the shooting, and no one else was hurt during the shooting. 

The shooting was within Jefferson County, and the county's corner is expected to confirm the driver's identity. The 17th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team will investigate the shooting. 

The officer who shot the driver was placed on paid administrative leave, per standard practice by the police department following an officer involved in a shooting.