AURORA, Colo. — A man who was armed with an "assault-style" weapon was shot and killed by police in Aurora Thursday after officers responded to a report of a fight at a parking lot west of Colorado Children's Hospital.
According to the Aurora Police Department, a community member reported a fight between two men in the 11900 block of East 16th Avenue just before 2 p.m. As officers were heading to the scene, a second person called 911 and said one of the men was armed with an "assault-style rifle," according to the department,
Aurora PD said two of its officers confronted the armed man and "gave him multiple commands to drop his weapon." The man did not comply with officers' orders, according to police, and was shot by one officer.
Police performed life-saving actions on the man until medical personnel arrived. He was taken to the hospital, where he later died.
The Adams County Coroner's Office will release the man's identity at a later time.
No officers were injured during the incident.
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The 17th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) is leading the investigation into the shooting, which will run parallel with an APD administrative investigation of the incident. The involved officer has been placed on paid administrative leave, per department policy.
The shooting occurred near Brent's Place, a nonprofit that offers housing to families facing a life-threatening medical crisis. In a statement, Monique McCoy, vice president of external affairs for Brent's Place, said the incident did not involve any residents or staff. However, staff did call 911 "when it was clear that others' safety may be at risk."
Full statement:
"Just before 2:00 p.m. today, October 3, 2024, an altercation between two unidentified men broke out in close proximity to the Brent's Place facility on Oswego and 16th Street in Aurora, Colorado. We want to clarify that those involved were neither residents nor staff of Brent's Place. Our staff did, however, have an awareness of the escalating incident and immediately called 911 when it was clear that others' safety may be at risk. Regardless of the circumstances, we are deeply sorrowful that someone lost their life today. We are cooperating with local law enforcement and are grateful for their quick response. We are also actively supporting our Brent's Place community through this tragic incident."
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867. Tipsters can remain anonymous and could earn a reward of up to $2,000.
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