A Denver police officer was shot Monday afternoon in north Denver when she and another officer were involved in a shootout with a fleeing burglary suspect, who was later shot and killed after a brief police chase.
Sources tell Denver7 the officer is Rachel Eid. Eid was shot in the left leg and is in fair condition, according to Kevin McVaney, Medical Director of Denver Paramedics.
Eid has been on the force for several years and has an outstanding work record, according to Denver police chief Robert White.
Police involvement began when Denver police received a call of a burglary in progress at West 37th Avenue and Grove Street around 1:25 p.m., White said.
Several officers responded to the scene and stopped two suspects in the area of West 34th Avenue and Irving Street, Denver Police spokesman Doug Schepman said.
One suspect was taken into custody immediately, but the other suspect ran off and was chased by two officers to the area of Moncrieff and Lowell, about four blocks away, Schepman said.
"(The officers) spotted the individual in the vicinity ... at which time, there was an exchange of gunfire. The officer (Eid) was struck," White said.
The fleeing suspect kept running and carjacked a vehicle near 32nd and Lowell.
"This guy was running from the cops and he grabbed a lady and ripped her out of her car and then stole her car and fired shots at the cops, then he took off driving down there and the cops just pinched him off real quick," said Sean, who did not want to use his last name.
Police pursued the stolen vehicle and approximately three blocks later, at 35th and Lowell, the suspect lost the control of the vehicle, and was stopped, Schepman said.
"He was confronted by several police officers, at which time, there was a second exchange of gunfire," White said.
Two officers opened fire on the suspect and he was shot and killed. No other officer was injured.
Police processed several scenes. A bullet hole was seen at the St. Kilian's Cheese Shop at 32nd and Lowell. Below is a live report from Marshall Zelinger at that scene.
At 32nd/Lowell where a Denver Police officer was involved in shooting (possibly shot).
Posted by Denver7 on Monday, February 22, 2016
The person who was carjacked was not hurt.
“It all happened really fast, by the time I looked up he was already inside the car, had the lady out of the car. He had black jeans and a really large gun, he just looking really sweaty," said witness Ashlee Ziegler.
Another witness said they were all in the area around lunchtime when they saw the suspect pull the woman out of her car.
"Everybody in the store started running and then I was like, 'What’s going on?' I thought somebody spilled something but really there was gunshots going off ... so we had to get away from the windows," Sean said. “He was just shooting at all the officers and everybody was just moving real quick and then they just took off down the street."