A 22-year-old who was shot by a Boulder police officer early Sunday morning after reportedly firing a gun on University Hill is facing two charges of first-degree attempted murder.
Zakiyy Lucas was treated for his injuries at Boulder Community Health on Sunday before being booked into the Boulder County Jail, where he is being held on a $500,000 bond.
According to an arrest affidavit released Tuesday, a video submitted by a bystander shows a fight involving at least three people near the northeast corner of 13th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. It’s unclear whether those involved in the fight knew each other.
Boulder Police Officers E. Stephens and D. Colwell were in a nearby alley responding to a separate disturbance call for loud noise when dispatch alerted them to shots fired in the area.
The two officers rounded the corner west of the suspect, who was backing toward the officers when he fired a shot from a pistol, the affidavit states.
Stephens can be heard on the video commanding the suspect to stop before ultimately firing four shots as the suspect ran north across Pennsylvania Avenue. While running, Lucas dropped the pistol, the affidavit notes.
He later told officers the gun he used was the only weapon he had.
In addition to charges of attempted first-degree murder – extreme indifference and attempted first-degree murder – after deliberation, Lucas faces a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct – discharge firearm. Lucas’ booking photo has not yet been released.
The defendant was arrested in June after being involved in a separate fight, for which he is facing a charge of petty disorderly conduct – offensive gesture, court records indicate. He is currently scheduled to be arraigned for both incidents on Oct. 14.
Officers are looking for more than one suspect, though they’ve yet to say exactly how many due to the early stages of the investigation. The affidavit references at least three people, including Lucas, who were captured on videos submitted by members of the public.
According to Boulder County District Attorney’s Office spokesperson Shannon Carbone, the Critical Incident Response Team is investigating the use of force by the officers involved.
This multi-agency team investigates when any law enforcement officer used deadly, or potentially deadly, physical force.
“Following this incident, the Boulder Police Department quickly made the appropriate notification to the Critical Incident Team,” Carbone wrote in an email. “Consistent with protocol, the Boulder Police Department does not participate in the investigation of the use of force.”
When the investigation is complete, District Attorney Michael Dougherty will conduct a review to determine what, if any, action is appropriate. He will then release the findings to the public and conduct a town hall.
In a news conference on Sunday, Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold noted that investigators believe at least three weapons were involved in the shooting based on the casings found on the scene. Officials later confirmed the officer’s gun was included in that count.
The officer who fired the gun remains on paid administrative leave, per Boulder Police Department policy.
Anyone with information on the Sunday morning incident is asked to call Detective S. Cantu at 303-441-4328 in reference to case 22-09880. Community members can upload video and photos to bouldercopd.evidence.com/axon/citizen/public/universityhillshooting.
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