ARVADA, Colo. — An armed robbery suspect who allegedly shot an off-duty Denver police detective at a gas station at W. 80th Ave. and Kipling St. in Arvada Wednesday morning has been arrested, police said during a news conference Wednesday.
The suspect, who was not identified in order to protect the ongoing investigation, was arrested sometime before 9:45 p.m., according to a police department spokesperson, who said the suspect was located and taken into custody without incident after officers found a gold Chevrolet Equinox connected to the suspect in the parking lot of an apartment complex in the area of Sheridan Boulevard and W. 82nd Avenue.
The suspect is facing potential charges of attempted first-degree murder, robbery, and a myriad of other charges, the spokesperson said during the news conference, which you can watch in full below.
The Arvada Police Department confirmed the armed robbery suspect shot a 14-year veteran of the Denver police force at a Circle K near the intersection. The detective was taken to Denver Health Medical Center and was in stable condition with injuries that are not life-threatening. Doctors said during the Wednesday evening news conference that the detective was doing good despite still being in the hospital, and that he is expected to undergo a full recovery from his injuries.
At a news conference earlier in the day, Sara Horan with the Arvada Police Department said the suspect, who's accused of robbing the store, was leaving the building, and the detective attempted to intervene outside. The suspect immediately fired shots at him, she said. The detective confronted the suspect alone, she added.
The suspect, who was described as a medium-build white man between 5 feet, 8 inches tall and 6 feet tall wearing a tan jacket and jeans, left in a vehicle after the shooting, she said. Police described the car as a gold or silver Chevrolet Equinox with front end damage. The car does not have a rear license plate. It was last seen going north on Kipling or eastbound on W. 86th Parkway.
Around 1:15 p.m., the Colorado Bureau of Investigation issued a Blue Alert, setting off cell phones across the Denver metro area with the suspect's information. A Blue Alert is issued when an officer has been killed or seriously injured.
Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen said a family member of the detective was with him at the time of the shooting and was able to provide immediate emergency care.
Pazen praised the detective for his quick action.
"The investigator displayed great courage — interrupting somebody that's armed and dangerous and taking action in order to protect our community. This detective should be recognized for the immediate action that they took," Pazen said.
Arvada police released pictures of the masked suspect and the vehicle.
@ArvadaPolice UPDATE, Pictures from the scene of the armed robbery and shooting at 8000 Kipling St. The pictures are of the suspect and vehicle. Please contact Police or Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867. pic.twitter.com/6ZMb7TgPcI
— Arvada Police (@ArvadaPolice) December 18, 2019
Witness tells me the man who was shot tried to stop the robbery suspect. After he was shot, other witnesses tried to help the man & used a belt as a tourniquet to help stop the bleeding.
— Liz Gelardi (@LizGelardi) December 18, 2019
"It's going to be hard for the family, and we're extremely fortunate that he's alive," Horan said earlier in the day. "It's unknown what (the suspect) got away with. He had already committed the armed robbery, so it's possible he got away with money."
There were multiple witnesses at the scene, and police have surveillance video, she said.
The northbound and southbound lanes of Kipling Street were closed in front of the gas station. W. 80th Avenue remained open with some lane restrictions.
Jefferson County Public Schools said they were closely monitoring the situation, but no schools were on lockout.