A police officer shot and killed a fleeing suspect at a Colorado Springs crime scene Friday night.
El Paso County District Attorney’s spokeswoman Kathleen Walsh would not say whether the suspect was holding a weapon when he was shot.
“We are not releasing any additional information about the shooting at least until Monday,” Walsh said.
The names of the slain man and the officer also were not released.
Police were investigating a crime in the 3500 block of North Carefree Circle about 7:30 p.m. when a man at the scene bolted, said Colorado Springs police Sgt. Steve Noblitt.
At least two police officers followed the suspect into the Greentree apartment complex on the northeast corner of Academy and North Carefree Circle.
“An officer was involved in a shooting with the suspect which resulted in the suspect being shot,” Noblitt said in a news release.
According to the Colorado Springs Gazette, two bullets went through the wall of J.D. Courtney’s apartment, one of which hit a mattress. Courtney heard three shots. Another neighbor heard someone breathing heavily just outside his apartment before a “boom, boom, boom,” the newspaper reported.
“I was in my kitchen and I heard someone banging on the door, trying to gain entrance into my apartment,” Courtney said. “I didn’t think anything of it. Next thing, I heard three gunshots.”
Courtney told the newspaper that police broke his door down and he and his wife weren’t allowed back inside until nearly midnight Friday. Although the man who died had been knocking on their door, Courtney said he didn’t know him.
The suspect was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. The officer who was involved in the shooting was not injured.
The officer has been placed on routine administrative leave with pay, which is common practice when officers are involved in deadly force situations.
The shooting is being investigated by the Colorado Springs Police Department’s Violent Crimes/Homicide Unit and the DA’s office, Noblitt said.
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com
