Plain-Clothed Denver Police Officer Hospitalized After Being Shot
DENVER (CBS4) - The area near Knox Court and Kentucky Avenue in Denver was closed after an officer was shot on Tuesday night. Denver police officials say one suspect is in custody.
Officials say officers were first called to a home at around 4 p.m. for a dispute over a dog. They left, but were called back at around 5:20 p.m. for a report of people trying to get inside a home who were possibly armed.
"Officers were called back to that same location, with an indication of people trying ot make entry into the home potentially armed," said DPD Division Chief Joe Montoya said.
The unidentified officer responded to look for any suspects and was hit in the back by a bullet. Officials say the officer was in plain clothes and was not wearing a vest.
They say he is part of a "versatile" unit which responds to a wide range of situations.
Following the shooting, the suspect vehicle fled, and police chased it. They stopped it at Irving Street and Custer where they arrested one person. There were no other suspects.
Marco Almeida was at home with his wife on Tuesday when they noticed police lights flashing outside their window.
"She got scared cause she heard a car crash at the stop sign and then a police car crashed their car," he said.
He watched as the driver of an Audi refused to get out of the car.
"He was resisting on the car and wouldn't get out for fifteen minutes he was waiting there," he said.
Police say the suspect shot at the vehicle the officer was in. The officer was the only person inside. The officer was rushed to Denver Health where Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen says the officer is stable and will make a full recovery.
"The officer was not wearing a vest at the time. We are very fortunate that the officer is still with us," Pazen said.
For Almeida it marks the third shooting in a matter of months in an area identified by police as a hotspot for crime.
He says safety is a growing concern.
"It was a long time that we didn't see those things going on here, now we have to be careful," he said.
It is not clear whether the suspect was involved in the original call for the dispute over a dog.
No police officers fired their weapons.
