AURORA, Colo. – A burglary suspect is dead following an encounter with police in Aurora early Saturday morning.
Police responded to the MK Services auto shop at 9230 E. Colfax Ave. at around 2:34 a.m. on reports of a burglary in progress.
Once at the scene, officers found a man inside the store suffering from apparent injuries from what police could only describe as a “lethal cutting instrument."
The suspect, who has not been identified, allegedly then started to injure himself in front of officers with the cutting instrument, according to a press release from the Aurora Police Department.
Officers then tried to de-escalate the situation but the suspect threatened the officers with the weapon and officers responded by using “less lethal options that were available,” the press release states.
Those methods were not enough to apprehend the suspect, according to police, who added the suspect once again began to injure himself with the weapon before he barricaded himself in another room inside the auto shop.
Police were able to get inside the room where they found the man unresponsive. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment but was pronounced deceased a short time later.
The Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office will conduct an autopsy to determine the manner of death.
The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information about this case should contact Detective Warren Miller at (303) 739-6117.