BOULDER, Colo. — A shootout between a handful of suspects in the busy University Hill neighborhood led to a police shooting where one suspect was wounded. No officer was struck and no other injuries were reported.
Boulder police officers on foot encountered the shootout among “armed individuals” early Sunday morning, according to the Boulder Police Department.
A male suspect was shot in the arm by a Boulder police officer and transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. The injured suspect is in police custody but during a press conference, police said at least three other suspects remain at large.
The incident occurred in the 1200 block of Pennsylvania Avenue in the city’s University Hill neighborhood.
According to police, at approximately 1:27 a.m., officers were on foot in the area on a separate call when they received a report about a disturbance with guns nearby.
As officers rounded a corner responding to the disturbance call, they encountered “armed individuals who were actively shooting,” a Boulder police press release said.
“The officers were initially on a disturbance call, loud noise, and then they received this call. And they literally walked around the corner and they encountered armed suspects,” Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold said.
Police said one officer discharged his weapon during the interaction with the suspects, striking one man in the arm.
Herold said at least three different types of guns were involved in the shootout based on casings and firearms found at the scene.
At least three other suspects who fled after the shooting remain at large. Police said they are reviewing body-worn cameras and other leads to try to identify the suspects.
Denver7 spoke with University of Colorado Boulder students on The Hill later that day, who could not believe what happened.
“It really didn't make me feel safe," said Nick Singhal, a sophomore. “You really have to be careful and it makes me not want to walk around The Hill late at night.”
Another student who lives near where the shooting happened said he could hear gunshots from his home.
"I just kept getting texts. And then they said, like, shots fired by The Sink. And I was like, oh my god, that's literally a minute walk from my apartment. So, you know, I shut off all the lights, locked the doors, shut all the windows," said Wyatt Abell.
Police said they are aware of some videos of the incident uploaded to social media and ask anyone with any information to call Detective Cantu at 303-441-4328 reference case 22-09880.
Herold said it's unknown if any University of Colorado Boulder students were involved. The Hill is a draw for CU students who frequent businesses, bars and clubs in the area, especially on weekends.
Police said there was no indication of a threat to the school. However, the department said it "amplified social media messages" and shared information with CU officials and CU Boulder Police. Details were also released by BPD on the alerts website in the form of a CU Advisory.
The Critical Incident Response Team has been activated to investigate the officer-involved shooting. Per Boulder Police policy, the officer has been placed on paid, administrative leave.