AURORA, Colo. — An Aurora police officer shot and killed a teen who allegedly called 911 and threatened to "shoot up" a business Thursday evening.
The incident involved a Conoco gas station in the 200 block of South Havana Street near East Alameda Avenue.
Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain said this "tragedy" began when the suspect in this case called 911 around 7:30 p.m. and told the operator that he had a gun and planned to "shoot up" the business and the surrounding area. He also reportedly told the 911 operator that the gun was in his waistband and he wanted to shoot at police.
Around 7:40 p.m., Aurora 911 received a call from the gas station owner, who said he had locked himself inside his business due to "suspicious activity" happening outside.
Chamberlain said three of his officers arrived at the scene around 7:42 p.m., set up on the far side of the gas station, and came out with their weapons, which included a rifle, a pistol and a "less lethal tool" known as a 40mm that shoots rubber projectiles.
According to the police chief, the officers moved around the corner and spotted the suspect on the island on the far side of the business. Chamberlain described the suspect as "almost waiting for the officers" and said the suspect had his hands concealed.
The suspect reportedly came off the island and began to walk toward the officers. One of the officers fired the "less lethal" 40mm anywhere from two to four times, according to Chamberlain, but the rounds "had no impact" and the suspect kept advancing towards police.
After the rounds were fired, Chamberlain said the suspect "increased his aggressive behavior" and started running toward the officers. According to the police chief, the officers moved back around the corner of the business while yelling at the suspect to show his hands and get on the ground.
The suspect ran around the corner with his hands "inside his jacket or near his pants area," and one officer fired their pistol, striking the suspect, according to Chamberlain. The officers took the suspect into custody and performed life-saving efforts until medical personnel arrived.
The suspect was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Chamberlain identified the suspect as a white male, roughly 17 years old. The Arapahoe County Coroner's Office will conduct an autopsy and release his identity at a later time.
"When you look at this event, it's a tragic event; there is no getting around it," Chamberlain said. "When you have a suspect himself who calls and says that he plans on shooting up a location and he also has a gun and he wants to shoot at police officers, that's concerning."
- Watch Police Chief Todd Chamberlain's full press conference in the video player below
No officers were hurt, and the business owner was also uninjured. Chamberlain said the business owner was taken to police headquarters for questioning.
The 18th Judicial District's Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) was activated and will investigate the shooting. The officer who fired their weapon has been with the department for "a number of years," according to Chamberlain, and was placed on paid administrative leave, per department protocol.
"This is not an event that anybody, any officer, wants to be a part of. This is a tragedy, and this is an incredibly sad circumstance, but this is what officers respond to day in and day out, and this is what they had to face tonight," the police chief told media members.
Chamberlain said the investigation is in its very early stages and "the facts... are still unfolding." No weapon has been recovered, and the suspect did not fire any shots, according to the police chief.
When asked if there was any thought about deploying a mental health team to the scene, Chamberlain said mental health officers "keyed their radio" that they were responding around 7:41 p.m., but there "wasn't a huge opportunity to do any kind of intervention, any kind of crisis intervention" due to the potential for violence.
The police chief is asking anyone who may have witnessed the incident or has video to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867. Tipsters can remain anonymous and could earn a reward of up to $2,000.
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