Officers fatally shot a man on an RTD bus following a disturbance call that turned into an alleged armed robbery Sunday evening in Aurora, according to interim Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates.
During a news conference, Oates said that at about 6 p.m., an Arapahoe County sheriff’s deputy was sent out to a work-release program facility by Colfax Avenue and Moline Street to pick up a 35-year-old white man who was violating rules and causing a disturbance.
“He was to be taken into custody and returned to jail,” Oates said.
When the deputy arrived, he saw the man on the corner of Colfax and Moline armed with a large knife. The deputy called for assistance from Aurora police when the man entered a convenience store. Oates said his department then received a 911 call for an armed robbery.
The suspect then boarded an RTD bus that was sitting at a stop. Two Aurora police officers arrived and entered the bus to confront the man.
“A Taser and a K-9 were deployed on the suspect. There was a confrontation and two officers discharged their weapons. The suspect was hit inside the bus,” Oates said.
The suspect was sent to the hospital and died around 6:30 p.m. His identity has not been announced.
All lanes on Colfax Avenue between Mason and Oswego streets were closed for hours amid the investigation, according to police.
Per department policy, the two officers who discharged their weapons were placed on administrative leave. The 17th Judicial critical incident response team will lead the investigation, according to Aurora police.
Media briefing regarding an earlier officer-involved shooting on East Colfax Ave and Moline Street. https://t.co/fPSNQAxPxM
— Aurora Police Dept (@AuroraPD) October 3, 2022
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