Two Delta police officers shot and killed a man early this morning after the suspect pulled out a gun and fired it at them, authorities said.
The officers, one with 15 years’ experience and the other with two, were not struck by bullets, said Delta Police Chief Robert Thomas.
Three Delta police officers responded to a call of shots fired on the 600 block of Grand Avenue in Delta at 1:14 a.m., Thomas said.
When they arrived at the suspect’s home, the suspect pulled out a gun and fired it at the officers. Two of the officers returned fire and fatally struck the suspect.
The chief did not say how many times the suspect was struck by bullets.
“We’re still trying to piece together the circumstances of the shooting,” including determining what motivated the initial call of a shooting, Thomas said.
The suspect’s name has not been released pending confirmation of his identity by the coroner.
The two officers who were involved in the shooting have been placed on paid leave of absence pending the outcome of an investigation.
A team of experts from the Seventh Judicial District are doing an independent investigation of the shooting, Thomas said.
The city of Delta on the Western slope has a population of about 8,900 people and has a police force of 17 full-time officers, he said.
Investigators from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation is also assisting in the investigation, Thomas said. The lead investigator is from the Montrose Police Department, he said.
Counselors will speak with the officers who were involved in the shooting and family members of the suspect who was killed, Thomas said.
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com
