Denver police fatally shot a man Friday afternoon in the Barnum neighborhood after he allegedly brandished a handgun at officers, officials said.
ALERT: There is a large police presence in the area of W 1st & Perry St due to an officer-involved shooting. Roads closed in the area, motorist are advised to use alternate routes. This is an active investigation, updates are forthcoming and will be posted to this thread.
— Denver Police Dept. (@DenverPolice)
The shooting happened around 4:30 p.m. at the intersection of West First Avenue and Perry Street, said Division Chief Ron Thomas at a news conference near the scene.
The incident started in the Westwood neighborhood near the intersection of Morrison Road and West Ohio Avenue, where a man was firing a gun into the air near a playground, Thomas said.
A caller reported the shots and told police the armed man got into a dark-colored vehicle and fled. Officers spotted the vehicle and pursued it, Thomas said. The driver of the vehicle drove west into Lakewood and then turned back into Denver. The suspect was eastbound on West First Avenue with police in pursuit when he crashed the vehicle.
Watch: DPD briefing regarding officer-involved shooting at W. 1st Ave./Perry St.
— Denver Police Dept. (@DenverPolice)
Officers at the scene of the crash called out for the driver of the vehicle to surrender, Thomas said. The man “threatened” officers with a handgun and police fired, hitting the man. He was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The driver of the pursued vehicle fired shots at police, from the vehicle, during the chase, Thomas said.
No officers or bystanders were injured.
The driver was the only person in the vehicle. An investigation is ongoing.
