AURORA, Colo. — A 16-year-old boy was arrested Saturday in connection with a shootout with Aurora police in a King Soopers parking lot Wednesday night. Additional suspects remain at large.
The teen suspect, whose name was not released because he is a juvenile, is facing seven counts of attempted murder of a peace officer and aggravated motor vehicle theft, according to the Aurora Police Department.
The juvenile was already in custody on active failure-to-appear warrants. He was found by officers early Thursday morning in an open field near Aurora Central High School, according to Aurora Police Interim Chief Dan Oates.
No one was injured when multiple suspects and police officers exchanged gunfire at a shopping center parking lot Wednesday night.
"Some people tried to murder Aurora police officers," Oates said to open a press conference Thursday.
Oates said the incident began when officers with the Direct Action Response Team (DART) were following a confirmed stolen white Kia Optima.
The DART team began following the Kia, which pulled into the King Soopers parking lot at East 6th Avenue and Peoria Street around 9:45 p.m. That's when the Kia's occupants opened fire at an unmarked Aurora police car, which had two officers inside, Oates said.
The occupants of the Kia then "engaged in gunfire" with two additional unmarked Aurora police cars, according to Oates.
A fourth unmarked Aurora police vehicle attempted to block the Kia from leaving the King Soopers parking lot, and there was "contact" between the two vehicles, Oates said. The Kia occupants then fired at that vehicle, which had two police officers inside.
In total, five officers fired their service weapons at the Kia, and four police vehicles were hit by gunfire, according to Oates. No officers were hit, the interim chief said, but one officer was taken to the hospital for possible eye and hand injuries. They have since been released.
The Kia took off from the parking lot, later crashing into a vehicle at 10th and Lima. The occupants got out of the vehicle and took off.
Per department policy, six officers have been placed on administrative leave — the five who fired their weapons and the officer who used their car to block the Kia. The 18th Judicial District's Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) will investigate the police shooting portion of this incident.
"I see no evidence to indicate that any of these officers at this time violated department policy," Oates said. "In fact, (with) everything I know about this event ... our officers acted courageously in the face of a deadly threat.
The reward of $10,000 is being offered by Metro Denver Crime Stoppers and the Aurora Reward Fund. If you have any information about this incident, you can remain anonymous by calling the tip line at 720-913-7867 or by submitting a tip online.