Update | March 21, 2025 at 10:06 a.m. | The man was pronounced dead, the Denver Police Department said Friday morning.
DENVER — A man was believed to be in critical condition after he was shot by police in Denver’s Cole neighborhood early Thursday evening, the city's chief of police said during a news conference near the scene of the shooting.
The shooting happened near the intersection of E. 35th Ave. and N. Humboldt St. sometime shortly after 6:20 p.m. after police received a report of a man possibly armed with a gun in the alley behind the Annunciation Catholic School, according to Denver Chief of Police Ron Thomas.
Responding officers contacted the man, who appeared to be unhoused, and gave him repeated commands to drop his weapon, but the man reportedly refused. Police could not say where he got the weapon or it even belonged to him.
Shortly after refusing officers' commands, the man made a move that "put the officers in fear of being shot themselves and multiple officers fired multiple rounds" that struck the man several times, Thomas said.
PRESS CONFERENCE: #DPD police Chief Ron Thomas provides an update to the officer-involved shooting that occurred in the 3500 Block of Humboldt St. https://t.co/XKhaqmBloQ
— Denver Police Dept. (@DenverPolice) March 21, 2025
There was no indication the man — who has yet to be identified — ever fired any rounds at police, the chief said.
Police then removed what appeared to be a semi-automatic handgun from the man and rendered aid until an ambulance could take him to Denver Health for treatment. Thomas said he believe the man was currently in surgery and believed he was listed in critical condition.
Thomas said the department has started their officer-involved shooting protocol, which will start a joint investigation between several agencies to determine whether the shooting was justified.
The officers who fired their weapon were placed on administrative leave per department policy.
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what's right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.
