A Wheat Ridge SWAT team member shot and killed a carjacking and robbery suspect after the man pulled a gun out and pointed it at the officer, authorities said.
Shawne Nelson, 34, of Ft. Myers, Fl. was killed in a confrontation Wednesday near the Motel 6 he had been staying at after he was connected to a crime spree eight days earlier, said Lisa Stigall, Wheat Ridge police spokeswoman.
Denver police also on Wednesday arrested Willie Perez, 31, who is a suspected accomplice in one of the robberies last week. Stigall said Nelson stole a car at gunpoint following one of the two robberies.
A Wheat Ridge detective was investigating Nelson for several other burglaries and crimes in the area just before the arrest, Stigall said.
Police went to a Motel 6 Wednesday at about 6 p.m. during their search for the suspect. When they confirmed that Nelson had a room in the motel, SWAT team members were called to the scene, Stigall said.
The officers set up a perimeter, and then two officers followed him when he walked away from the motel, she said.
The officers confronted him at about 7:45 p.m. near the Comfort Inn Motel, at 10200 W. Interstate-70 Frontage Road S., announcing that they were police officers.
Nelson has an extensive criminal history for assaults and burglary. In 1993 he was charged with attempted murder and eventually was sentenced to 14 years in prison on a reduced charge of first degree assault, according to Colorado Bureau of Investigation records.
Stigall did not release the name of the SWAT team officer who shot Nelson. The officer was placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation by the Jefferson County Critical Incident Response Team.
Staff writer Kirk Mitchell can be reached at 303-820-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com.
