DENVER — A 35‑year‑old man suspected of stealing a flatbed work truck was shot by officers Tuesday at a Denver gas station, shutting down 6th Avenue and Santa Fe Drive, authorities said.
The man who was shot has been taken to a hospital and is in stable condition, Colorado State Patrol Chief Matthew Packard said at a news conference. No officers were injured.
Packard said that they believe both a state trooper and a member of the Adams County Sheriff's Office fired shots at the man who law enforcement believes stole the construction vehicle from an undisclosed location in eastern Adams County.
The company that owned the truck reported the theft around 9 a.m., and Colorado Metropolitan Auto Theft Task Force — which includes the Denver Police Department, the Colorado State Patrol, and the Adams County Sheriff's office, among other agencies — was notified. A tracking device in the truck led law enforcement to the Sinclair gas station at 620 Santa Fe Drive, Packard said.
"The suspect that was driving that vehicle entered inside the gas station here and was confronted by officers from that auto theft task force as they begin to converge on the suspect, shots were fired," he said. "We believe the suspect was armed at the time of the encounter."
The shooting occurred around 11 a.m.
Packard said he couldn't say specifically what occurred in the moments leading up to the shots fired.
"I can't speak to specifically what prompted the actual shooting," he said. "The investigation will show that out."
The investigation will be led by the Denver Police Department as part of their critical incident protocol that also includes the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and typically, CSP.
"We'll be taking a back seat because of our trooper that's involved in this incident, but of course, we'll cooperate fully as this incident progresses," Packard said.
Packard said the two officers were at Denver Police Department as the investigation begins.
Watch the full press conference:
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