A rifle, ammunition and magazines were stolen from an Aurora police officer’s personal car and the thief remains at large.
The theft of a .223 caliber AR-15 happened at about 9 p.m. Thursday in south Aurora, said Bob Friel, a police spokesman.
The military-type rifle can be used as an automatic or a semi-automatic.
The theft, from an unlocked car, has been assigned to the department’s detective bureau, Friel said.
Anyone with information on the incident should call Aurora police at 303-739-6050.
The name of the officer from whom the rifle was stolen was not released because he has not committed a crime, Friel said.
The officer could, however, face possible disciplinary actions if procedural policy was violated, Friel said.
“We are taking this very seriously,” Friel said.
In February, an HK MP5 submachine gun issued to a Jefferson County SWAT officer was stolen from the cab of his pickup truck parked outside a sports bar in Lakewood.
Lakewood police have not reported the submachine gun as being recovered.
The submachine gun was stolen across the street from offices of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the State Patrol at 675 Kipling St.
The weapon stolen Thursday in Aurora was from a vehicle in a residential neighborhood.
According to Internet websites, an AR-15 is capable of firing 800 rounds per minute with a range of 600 yards.
Staff writer Kieran Nicholson can be reached at 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com.
