Culture

Multiple Sheriff’s Deputies Have Been Shot, One Fatally, Near Denver In An ‘Ambush’-Style Attack

Note: We’ll provide updates on this incident at the bottom of this post.

An active shooter situation near Denver has left multiple sheriff’s deputies injured as police continue to work towards apprehending the shooter. The incident began as officers were responding to a disturbance call at around 6 A.M. local time, leading to gunfire aimed at the responding officers. Meghan Lopez, a reporter for Denver 7, reported that she heard shots soon after arriving on the scene and that police had begun to close the scene to protect the media and the public. According to several reports, police are still working on the scene and a bomb squad has been called:

A sheriff’s office spokesperson confirmed a SWAT team is at home where the shooting occurred.

“We have multiple officers down,” Deputy Jason Blanchard said. “We are not giving numbers or status at this point, we are still working on getting the suspect in custody.”

A source in the sheriff’s office told KKTV it’s “not looking good for us” as shots were being fired at deputies, and video from the scene showed at least eight ambulances arriving.

There is no clear indication as to what caused the incident, but the shooter is reportedly still at large. An emergency shelter has been set up in the area for those in need of assistance or a place to go while forced away from their homes.

UPDATE #1 – 4:45pm EST: Fox News reports that the suspect is dead (from police fire) after firing over 100 rounds at the deputies, five of which were struck, one fatally. In addition, two civilians were caught in the gunfire, and the extent of their injuries (as well as those of the deputies) remains unknown at this time. Fox News adds that the shooting was done “ambush” style, which CNN further explains as the gunman barricading himself inside an apartment and shooting without warning while conducting talks with the deputies.

(Via Denver Post / WBAL 11 / KKTV 11 / Fox News)