BOULDER, Colo. — A woman who police said was carrying a replica gun has died after she was shot by two Boulder Police officers near the North Boulder Recreation Center Sunday night.
The shooting happened in the area of the North Boulder Recreation Center at 3170 Broadway, the department said. On Tuesday, the coroner's office identified the woman as Jeanette Alatorre, 51.
During a press conference Monday, Boulder Police Deputy Chief Ron Gosage and District Attorney Michael Dougherty offered preliminary information about the shooting.
Gosage said a 911 call came in at 4:10 p.m. from a driver who reported that a woman approached him while he was in his car at the Boulder Recreation Center driveway exit and pointed a gun at him.
Officers arrived on scene at 4:12 p.m. and about two minutes later, they located the suspect.
Gosage said the suspect did not comply with officers' verbal commands and took off northbound on Broadway on foot. He said officers followed the woman in an attempt to have her comply. He said officers informed her that if she didn't cooperate, force could be used against her.
Gosage said the woman didn't cooperate and continued to walk away, turning down residential side streets. Officers followed her and Gosage said they used less lethal attempts to get her to comply with their orders. He said the officers saw the woman remove a gun from her purse.
Officers continued to follow her and attempted to deescalate the situation for approximately 15 minutes, using "less lethal strategies and verbal commands," Gosage said.
Gosage said the deescalation attempts were unsuccessful and officers discharged their weapons striking the woman at about 4:26 p.m.
Gosage said police tried to administer medical aid to the woman. A few minutes later, Boulder Fire Rescue arrived and also assisted with medical aid. Nearly 40 minutes later, the woman died at the scene.
According to police, the gun the woman was holding turned out to be replica Berretta.
"It looks like a firearm, it feels like a firearm, it says Berretta on it, it looks like a pistol," Gosage said.
Both officers involved are on administrative paid leave, Gosage said.
The coroner will identify the woman, notify next of kin and determine the manner of death.
Per state law, Boulder County Investigation Team took over the investigation Sunday as Gosage said happens in every case where an officer has fired his weapon.
Gosage said they are currently conducting interviews with the officers involved and other witnesses, and at this moment, he is not able to provide more specifics on what occurred during the confrontation with the suspect.
Once completed, the results of the investigation will be presented to the DA's Office.
Gosage said police are also asking for information about a trespassing call that came in around 3:15 p.m. about a woman inside a bathroom. He said it appears to be the same woman who was shot.
According to Dougherty, the Boulder Police Department notified the Boulder County Critical Incident team, a multi-agency team comprised of detectives, investigators and crime scene analysts from different law enforcement agencies, so that the Boulder Police Department is not actively involved in the investigation into the officers use of force.
"As required by state law, it's a multi-agency team that is determined to, and I can assure you will conduct an incredibly thorough, independent investigation and then turn it over to the district attorney's office for a review," Dougherty said.
Dougherty said there were a number of civilian witnesses during the incident and who he encourages to come forward and speak Boulder Police Department about what happened. He said they have already received some video from civilian witnesses who were there.
"Witness interviews are being conducted currently," he said. "Once that investigation is completed, which of course will also include body worn camera video, crime scene analysis, ballistics evidence, and so on, that's all turned over to the district attorney's office and it's my responsibility and the responsibility of my team, the DA's office, to review the entire investigation and determine whether the officers use of force, under the law, was justified or that they should be charged criminally for any of their actions from yesterday."
The department said no officers were injured, and there is no threat to public safety.
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