GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. — An investigation is underway after a Glenwood Springs police officer shot and killed a man at the Glenwood Meadows shopping center Monday afternoon.
According to Glenwood Springs Police Chief Joseph Deras, two patrol officers were on routine patrol in the area of Midland Avenue/ Flat Tops View Drive and Wulfsohn Road just before 1 p.m. when they spotted a man who had an outstanding felony warrant related to firearms charges. As officers contacted the man, he reportedly pulled out a weapon.
Glenwood Springs police said both officers retreated, and one of the officers fired their service weapon. The man moved toward his vehicle, and the officers "took a secondary position and again engaged the suspect with gunfire," according to the department.
The suspect took cover behind a vehicle. The officers stayed put until additional resources arrived.
The man was declared dead at the scene. Deras only identified him as a "single Caucasian male from the area." The officers were not injured.
Glenwood Springs PD said only one officer fired their weapon. They have been placed on administrative leave, per department protocol.
The Garfield County Sheriff's Office, with the help of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, is conducting an investigation into the criminal portion of the incident. Glenwood Springs PD will conduct a parallel, internal investigation into the police shooting.
Deras said investigators recovered a high-capacity firearm with several rounds inside. The man also had access to additional ammunition, according to the police chief.
No civilians were injured on Monday. Investigators took several hours to process the scene, leaving many people who were parked in the shopping center without access to their cars.
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