LAKEWOOD, Colo. — The officer who returned fire after being shot by the man accused of killing five people across Denver and Lakewood in a shooting spree Dec. 27 has been released from the hospital, the Lakewood Police Department (LPD) said Thursday.
Officer Ashley Ferris encountered the suspect in the area of Vance Street and Alaska Drive in Belmar, after he had fatally shot five people, injured one, and exchanged gunfire with police in two separate locations.
According to the LPD, Ferris ordered the suspect to drop his weapon as he approached her, but he ignored her commands and shot her in the abdomen. The wounded officer returned fire, and the suspect died on the scene.
"If not for the heroic efforts of Agent Ferris and other law enforcement, this incredibly violent tragedy could have been even worse," the LPD said in a Facebook post. "Today Agent Ferris was released from the hospital with the support of her family and her family at the Lakewood Police Department. Thank you Agent Ferris. You’re our hero."
The department shared video of hospital staff lining the hallways to applaud Ferris and a group of Lakewood officers greeting her outside the hospital.
"Our hearts are incredibly heavy with the loss of life and injuries suffered by others during this rampage," the department said in the post. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the Cardenas, Gunn-Maldonado, Scofield, Steck and Swinyard families, as well as those who were injured and their families."
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Latest from 9NEWS