Fort Collins police shoot man allegedly charging them with weapon near Colorado State University
Your Northern Colorado reporter Dillon Thomas has obtained video of police shooting and killing an allegedly armed man across the street from Colorado State University.
Fort Collins Police shot and killed an unidentified man in an alleyway near the intersection of College Avenue and Laurel Street, just north of the CSU Oval on Thursday night.
According to a statement issued by FCPS, the agency received a 911 call reporting an armed man making racial slurs toward innocent bystanders, adding that he may have attacked someone.
Officers said they arrived on the scene to find the man, whose identity hasn't been released, holding a sharp weapon and pepper spray.
Video recorded by Ryan Hullibarger showed the final moments of the interaction with the man and FCPS police.
In the video, it is clear that officers repetitively told the man to drop the weapon. Officers reported that the man advanced toward them before they deployed their tasers.
The man in the video is seen falling to the ground after being hit by the tasers. He then stood up quickly and appeared to charge the officers. At least five shots were fired. However, in the video obtained by CBS News Colorado, that moment's view was blocked by a trash bin.
Hullibarger said he witnessed the man making racial slurs prior to the officers arriving on scene, and he claimed the man was armed with a hatchet. He said he did not condone the man's actions, but also raised questions on the officer's de-escalation tactics.
The alley is peppered with security cameras and signage warning of surveillance. At least one camera on a pole is clearly labeled as being under FCPS supervision.
CBS News Colorado reached out to FCPS and the agency investigating the shooting, the Larimer County Sheriff's Office, seeking comment or interview for this report.
Both declined to comment due to the ongoing investigation.
No officers were injured in the shooting.
