DENVER – A Denver Police officer is recovering from surgery after he was shot multiple times during what he thought was a routine traffic stop.
One unidentified suspect is in custody and is in the hospital being treated for a gunshot wound to the ankle. A long gun was recovered from the suspect's vehicle. Police are searching for other people who may have been involved in the incident.
It all started at around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, when Officer Tony Lopez Jr. initiated a traffic stop near West 37th Avenue and Federal Boulevard. Almost immediately after, officer Lopez radioed for an ambulance saying that he had been shot. Police said Lopez returned fire, striking the suspect in the leg
"I heard a bunch of gunfire and I thought maybe it was firecrackers at first, but then it wasn't," Thomas Peeples, an eyewitness, said. "And I went out my door and looked and I saw a police officer on the ground and it looked like he was shooting at something or somebody. And then I came back in and the gunshots continued, so when they stopped, I came back out and I saw the cop on the ground."
Lopez, who was wearing a bulletproof vest, was hit up to seven times. At least one suspect drove away in a white SUV. Police say he ditched the car a few blocks later, and went to a bank at 3400 West 38th Avenue, where he carjacked a vehicle.
The suspect then led officers on a high-speed chase that ended near 20th Street and Chestnut Place – not far from Coors Field.
Lopez Jr. was rushed to the hospital, where he underwent hours of surgery. He was out of the operating room at around 5 p.m.
On Wednesday morning, Dr. Gene Moore told 9NEWS reporter Noel Brennan that Lopez is on a ventilator, but is doing great considering his injuries. Moore said Lopez lost his entire volume of blood in the shooting. He remains in critical condition.
"He was in profound shock and the paramedics saved his life," Dr. Gene Moore with Denver Health said. "The paramedics placed tourniquets on him in the field, and I'm convinced that saved his life because he was about as close to his heart stopping as you can get."
Moore said the overnight hours will be critical for Lopez Jr., who has been with DPD since 2008.
"Right now, he's alive and that's our major concern," Moore said.
Policing runs in Lopez Jr.'s family. His father, Tony Lopez Sr., has been with DPD for 30 years and is currently a commander.
Lopez Jr. has been on DPD's Street Crime Attack Team for six months. He works in District 1, which encompasses the Highlands neighborhood. Coworkers describe him as a "hard worker" and a "good cop."
Authorities haven't released descriptions of the other potential suspects in the shooting.
Nearby schools were placed on lockout during the investigation.
(© 2015 KUSA)
