Man dies Wednesday after Aurora police shot him near E. Colfax Avenue and Havana Street

AURORA, Colo. — One person died after an Aurora police officer shot him Wednesday morning at the intersection of East Colfax Avenue and Havana Street.

Two officers were monitoring security cameras in the area, as part of a "proactive policing" effort, Aurora Police Chief Art Acevedo said during a news briefing Wednesday.

Around 2:32 a.m., the two officers witnessed two men at a bus stop near the intersection get into a confrontation over what appeared to be a backpack, police said. One of the men then pointed a gun at the other.

The man that Aurora police said had a gun started running, according to Acevedo, after he said he did a preliminary review of the audio and video on the officers' body-worn camera.

The officers gave commands to the man to stop and put his hands up. Acevedo said, at that point, one officer fired his gun at that individual.

Acevedo did not say if the man pointed a gun at the officers.

Once backup arrived, the Aurora police officers started performing CPR on the gunshot victim until Aurora Fire Rescue arrived on scene.

AFR took the victim to University Hospital nearby, but he was pronounced dead shortly after, according to Acevedo.

The other person, involved in the initial confrontation at the bus stop, was taken into police custody and later charged with misdemeanor theft, according to police.

Aurora police said Friday that the two officers involved in the shooting – the one officer who fired his weapon and second who was a witness – were put on administrative leave.

All eastbound lanes of Colfax, and all lanes of Havana in the intersection, were closed Wednesday morning for the investigation.

---