DENVER — The man accused of shooting a family member he was fighting with along with a responding Denver police officer has been formally charged for the crimes.
During a court appearance Wednesday, Elijah Ruff, 25, was charged with two counts of criminal attempt to commit murder in the first degree, two counts of assault in the first degree, and one count of assault for last weekend's shooting.
Spokesperson Doug Schepman with the Denver Police Department said officers responded to a home on West 10th Avenue for a report of a shooting at 3:45 a.m. Sunday.
According to an arrest affidavit, the victim was having an argument with Ruff when he pulled out a handgun. She pleaded with him not to kill her and then attempted to run from the home, the affidavit says. That's when Ruff fired the gun in her direction.
When officers and paramedics arrived on scene, they found a woman who had suffered a gunshot wound to the lower back in front of the house. As first responders treated the woman for her wounds, the suspect inside the house began firing at officers and paramedics.
One officer was shot in the leg. Schepman said officers returned fire and the suspect, identified later as Ruff, retreated into the home. DPD officers, along with officers from neighboring jurisdictions, surrounded the house. Metro SWAT entered the home and took Ruff into custody, the Police Department said.
Both the female victim and injured officer were taken to the hospital. The officer was released sometime in the afternoon; his name has not been released by the Police Department.
Schepman said the officers on scene during the incident went to police headquarters to give statements and review body camera footage. He said, at this time, it is unclear how many officers responded and were involved in the incident.
Ruff made his first court appearance Monday afternoon where the judge set bail at $500,000.