THORNTON, Colo. — A man was fatally shot by a Thornton officer when he fired a gun at the officer after fleeing from a traffic stop, according to the Thornton Police Department.
Just before 8 a.m. Tuesday an officer spotted a man driving erratically near the intersection of East 112th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard. When the officer attempted a traffic stop, the man got out of the vehicle and ran away, police said.
Another officer who had come to the area to assist spotted the man in the parking lot of the Margaret W. Carpenter Recreation Center. According to police, the man fired at the officer who returned fire and struck the man. The man was taken to the hospital where he later died.
His name will be released by the Adams County coroner's office once next of kin have been notified. The officer involved in the shooting was not hurt and has been placed on administrative leave which is standard protocol.
The 17th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) will investigate the shooting.
Thornton shooting
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