DENVER — One person is dead Wednesday morning after Denver police said there was a shootout involving one of its officers near the corner of Speer Boulevard and Interstate 25.
In a press conference, Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas said an on-duty officer was parked in front of the Quality Inn at the intersection of West 26th Ave. and Zuni Street. The officer saw a man walk past his patrol car into the hotel. When he left a few moments later, the officer reports he saw the man pull out a gun and begin firing shots at the passenger window of the officer's patrol car. The officer got shot multiple times, but was able to get out of his car on the driver side, seek cover and return fire.
When asked if there was any verbal exchange between the two, Chief Thomas said, "There was no exchange, no confrontation whatsoever."
ALERT: #DPD is investigating an officer involved shooting in the 2600 block of N Zuni St. 1 DPD officer and 1 suspect shot, both transported. Officer received non-life threatening gunshot wound, Suspect is deceased. Investigation is ongoing. Updates to be posted here. #Denver pic.twitter.com/4Wt103wgYU
— Denver Police Dept. (@DenverPolice) June 7, 2023
Chief Thomas went on to say the officer continued to fire until the man went down. At that point, he called in the shooting to DPD. And other officers began arriving on scene to find the officer and the man involved in the shootout hit.
They were both taken to the emergency room. The officer's gunshot wounds are not life threatening, Chief Thomas said. The three rounds that hit him in his chest and back appear to have been stopped by the bulletproof vest he was wearing. Chief Thomas said the officer is recovering in the hospital with his family by his side.
The suspect was later identified as 35-year-old Nicholas Lendrum by the Denver Office of the Medical Examiner. His cause of death was from multiple gunshot wounds and his manner of death was listed as a homicide.
Watch: #DPD Chief Ron Thomas provides initial briefing regarding the 2600 Block N. Zuni St. officer-involved shooting. https://t.co/s3b9TWBoNm
— Denver Police Dept. (@DenverPolice) June 7, 2023
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the Colorado State Patrol, Denver homicide unit and Denver Office of the Independent Monitor are all collaborating to investigate what happened. Investigators have found a number of security cameras both inside and outside of the hotel. Chief Thomas said the team is in the process of recovering the video of the shooting.
Chief Thomas said the results of that investigation will be turned over to the Denver district attorney for review.
Editor's note on June 9, 2023 at 1:35 p.m.: This story has been updated with the suspect's identity, cause and manner of death.
