AURORA, Colo. -- An officer with the Aurora Police Department was injured, but is expected to be OK, following a shooting near the CU Anschutz Medical Campus late Friday afternoon, an official with the police department said via Twitter as details of what led to the shooting remained scarce well into the night.
During a press conference Friday evening, a spokesperson for the police department said officers were dispatched to Peoria Street between E. Montview Blvd. and E. 17th Avenue at around 5:17 p.m. on reports of a physical disturbance.
An arriving officer investigating the report then heard gunfire from an alleyway and found several people "down in the area," the spokesman said.
The officer then made contact with the suspect and shots were exchanged between the suspect and the officer, according to the spokesman. Both were injured in the shooting, but the officer is expected to be OK thanks to the officer's bulletproof vest, which took the brunt of the impact.
APDAlert: Officers are on-scene of an officer involved shooting in the 1900 block of Peoria Street. Updates here pic.twitter.com/R309e8vVSk
— Aurora Police Dept (@AuroraPD) August 31, 2018
Four patients were hospitalized following the shooting, according to a University of Colorado Hospitals spokesperson. Among them was a juvenile.
During the commotion, Anschtuz campus officials warned students to stay away from 19th Avenue and Peoria Street as police investigated the scene. Following a nearly three-hour closure, all lanes of Peoria Street between E. Montview Blvd. and E. 17th Avenue were back open to residents in the area.
The identities of the officer, the suspect, and the victims injured in the shooting were not released by the police department.
Anyone that may have additional information or who may have witnessed the shooting is asked to call Det. Ingui at (303) 739-6067.