DENVER – A Denver Police officer shot a bank robbery suspect near the 16th Street Mall Friday afternoon, according to Denver Police Chief Robert White. The officer was not injured.
It began around 1 p.m., when the male suspect robbed the ANB Bank on the crowded 16th Street Mall and fled the scene, White told reporters.
Immediately after the robbery, a person who witnessed the incident flagged down the officer and identified the suspect. The officer then followed the suspect into an alley, White said.
The officer eventually caught up with the armed suspect near a dumpster in the alley and gave the man several commands. At some point, the officer fired his weapon and hit the man several times, White said. It's not clear if the suspect drew a weapon during the encounter.
Paramedics rushed the suspect, whose name has not been released, to the hospital with critical injuries. He was declared dead early Friday evening, according to a DPD official.
UPDATE: Bank robbery suspect involved in today’s officer-involved shooting has been pronounced deceased at the hospital. His identity will be released by Office of the Medical Examiner. Investigation is ongoing. https://t.co/X5BYpHY2Hy
— Denver Police Dept. (@DenverPolice) November 11, 2017
No one else, including mall patrons, were injured.
White said a gun and an undisclosed amount of money were recovered from the scene. White called the cash "evidence from the bank robbery."
The name of the officer, who White said is assigned to patrol the mall, has not been released. The officer will be on administrative leave until an investigation is complete.
The ongoing investigation interrupted RTD services in the area. The transit service tweeted the 16th Street Mall shuttles were stopped, and trains were experiencing delays.
Police are continuing to investigate the incident.