Lakewood Officer Killed in Shootout Near RTD Bus; Suspect Dead, Three Officers Wounded
Suspect opened fire as officers approached RTD bus; three officers and civilian wounded
A Lakewood police officer died Thursday night after a suspect opened fire as officers approached him near an RTD bus at West Colfax Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard, authorities said. Three other officers and a civilian were also wounded in the exchange of gunfire that killed the suspect.
The shooting erupted around 6:30 p.m. Mountain Time after police responded to reports of a suspicious person trying to board a Route 76 bus. Lakewood Police Public Information Officer John Romero said the suspect immediately fired on arriving officers. Police returned fire, striking and killing the suspect at the scene.
Four officers were hit. One was pronounced dead at Denver Health. Two other injured officers and the wounded civilian were also taken to Denver Health, while a fourth patient with non-life-threatening injuries went to CommonSpirit St. Anthony Hospital. Authorities have not released the names of the fallen officer, the three wounded officers, or the deceased suspect.
Romero said the suspect may have been involved in a hit-and-run earlier in the day. The Jefferson County Critical Incident Response Team is leading the investigation with assistance from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, standard protocol for officer-involved shootings.
Gov. Jared Polis called the death “heartbreaking” and said the Colorado State Patrol assisted at the scene and participated in a procession honoring the fallen officer from the hospital. RTD confirmed the shooting occurred on one of its contracted buses and pledged full cooperation with the investigation.
The intersection remained closed late Thursday as investigators processed the scene across multiple blocks.
