Suspected car thief shoots police officer in the neck while handcuffed at Denver City Jail
A Denver police officer was shot by a suspect, who was then shot and critically injured by police, while he was being taking out of a police vehicle at the Denver Downtown Detention Center on Monday night. The officer was shot in the neck, but he is expected to be OK.
During a press conference, Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas said that at about 9 p.m. police spotted a vehicle near South Perry Street and West Arkansas Avenue in southwest Denver that was believed to be stolen. The driver in the car drove away from police but was stopped and taken into custody near South Iowa Boulevard and West Lowell Avenue.
Officers confirmed the car was stolen, and police also found a handgun as well as a large amount of suspected drugs on the suspect, Thomas said.
Police took the suspect to the jail and arrived at about 11 p.m. Chief Thomas confirmed it was when officers were removing the handcuffed suspect from the police cruiser that he was somehow able to get his hands on another gun and fired at least one shot that hit one of the arresting officers in the neck.
"There were other officers that were in the sally port area of the Downtown Detention Center at the time," Thomas said during the press conference. "At least one of those officers returned fire, striking the suspect multiple times."
The injured officers and suspect were then both taken to the hospital. The police chief said his officer was in good spirits with his wife and mother by his side, expecting to be OK with non-life-threating injuries. The suspect was considered to be in critical condition at the time of the investigation update.
When asked, Thomas said it is too early to make an official confirmation, but it's believed the suspect had the gun he used to shoot the officer concealed on him while he was being taken to jail.
Thomas confirmed Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Colorado State Patrol and Denver police detectives would all work together to investigate this officer-involved shooting under the oversight of Denver's Officer of the Independent Monitor before submitting those investigation results to the DA.
There was also no other immediate information about the stolen vehicle the suspect was found driving.
"I think this is a very good reminder that our officers are out there every day doing very dangerous police work protecting the citizens of Denver," Thomas said.
