One police officer was killed and three of his colleagues were injured in a shootout with a man in Lakewood, a suburb of Denver in the US state of Colorado. The man who exchanged gunfire with the officers was killed by police.
The officers responded to a report of a suspicious person attempting to board a city bus. Lakewood police spokesperson John Romero said the man may have been connected to a traffic accident. Authorities are also investigating the possible involvement of another person.
The officers arrived at the bus at around 6:30 p.m. local time on November 5. According to Romero, the man opened fire when the officers arrived at the scene. It has not yet been established whether the shooting began inside the bus or in its immediate vicinity.
Three officers are in hospital
The injured officers were taken to hospital, but their condition has not been disclosed. Another person was also injured in the shootout. There is no official information yet on how that person sustained their injuries.
The names of the deceased officer, the injured officers and the man who was killed have not been released. Lakewood police are continuing their investigation and urged residents to avoid the area.
The local transit agency expressed deep concern over the incident. “Our employees responded immediately to the report of the incident. We are providing full cooperation to the Lakewood Police Department during the investigation,” its statement said.
Sources: bta.bg, apnews.com