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9 officer-involved shootings reported in Colorado over 8 days

Over the course of a week, law enforcement in Colorado has been involved in nine shootings - from a body-armor-wearing man in Aurora to a police chase in Pueblo County that ended in someone's front yard.

DENVER — Editor's note: A previous version of this story listed an additional officer-involved shooting. Investigators since determined that shooting was a suicide.

This article contains only shootings where a suspect or officer was injured or is believed to have been injured.

In the last eight days, law enforcement around Colorado has been involved in 10 separate shootings. The shootings have taken place throughout the state from Pueblo to the south to Fort Collins in the north - Aurora in the east and Frisco in the west.

Since Jan. 9, law enforcement in the city of Pueblo, Westminster, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Pueblo County, Frisco, Aurora, Englewood,  Fort Lupton and Greeley have opened fire on suspects. 

No officers have been killed in Colorado so far 2019, at least one was injured in these incidents.

Three suspects have been killed and at least six have been injured.

Below is a list of the officer-involved shootings reported in Colorado over the last eight days:

Greeley

Late on Jan. 16, a suspect was shot by an officer in Greeley following a high-speed chase, according to a release from Greeley police.

Two vehicles that were driving north on Highway 85 from Platteville at a high rate of speed, failed to yield to officers until stopped near 42nd Avenue and Highway 85, in Evans, the release said.

At that location, officers confronted the driver, and one of the officers fired their weapon. 

No officers were hurt, the injured adult was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Pueblo

In Pueblo on Jan. 9, an officer patrolling on the city's west side around 1 p.m. noticed two vehicles parked in an alley in the 1100 block of West 13th Street. While investigating, the officer noticed three people in a newer Subaru next to a newer, black Volkswagen.

The Pueblo Police Department said the driver of the Volkswagen was outside the vehicle and then, after talking to the officer, tried to get into the car's driver seat. The patrol officer also found out the Subaru was stolen at this time, police said.

The officer then rushed the driver of the Volkswagen in an attempt to stop him from escaping, according to the Police Department. However, the driver of the Volkswagen was able to speed off in one direction while the driver of the Subaru sped off in another - striking another Pueblo PD officer.

After the Subaru hit the second officer, the first officer fired at least one round at the driver, according to police. Other officers nearby began to pursue the Subaru, and then, a short time later, it crashed into the corner of East 9th Street and Norwood Avenue in Pueblo.

Three people were taken into custody at the time, law enforcement said. The driver of the Subaru had a single gunshot wound in the torso. Two firearms were found in the vehicle, according to the Pueblo Police Department. 

The driver of the vehicle was identified as 18-year-old Coda Hutton-Hayes and was taken to an area hospital with injuries that weren't believed to be life-threatening. Upon his release from the hospital, Hutton-Hayes faced charges of motor vehicle theft, among others.

Credit: Pueblo Police Department

Police identified the driver of the Volkswagen as 21-year-old Simon Eugene "Elijah" Gurule, Jr., and he is still wanted. He will likely face several charges, including motor vehicle theft, police said. The Volkswagen he was driving turned out to be stolen as well and was found abandoned in the area of South Hudson Avenue and Catalpa Street.

If anyone knows where Gurule may be, they are asked to call the Pueblo Police Department at 719-553-2502.

The injured officer - hit by the Subaru as it fled - was taken to a local hospital with injuries that weren't believed to be life-threatening.

Westminster

Around 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 10, two off-duty Westminster Police Department officers intervened during a disturbance at the Orchard Town Center. The officers heard a commotion coming from a man and woman in the parking lot of the mall, according to a news release from the department.

The officers tried to intervene and told the pair they were law enforcement, according to the release. The man then tried to leave the parking lot in a vehicle and might have hit one of the officers, police said, and at least one of the officers opened fire. 

RELATED | Off-duty officer shoots suspect at Westminster shopping center; officer and suspect injured

The man then drove out of the parking lot, authorities said. Police were later notified that the man was in a local hospital with gunshot wounds. Police said his condition was unknown but he was expected to survive.

Westminster PD said the woman from the initial disturbance had to go to the hospital after the incident with minor injuries. 

Both officers were placed on administrative leave - standard practice after an officer-involved shooting - while the incident is under investigation, according to police. The investigation will be handled by the 17th Judicial District Critical Incident Investigation Team.

Colorado Springs

In the early morning hours of Jan. 12 in Colorado Springs, officers with the Colorado Springs Police Department spoke with a man in a parked vehicle in the parking lot of Elevate Apartments on the 400 block of Crestone Lane.

According to the Police Department, during the conversation with police, the man began to struggle and shots were fired.

No officers were injured, and according to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, which is the lead investigative agency into the shooting, the suspect died on-scene.

RELATED | Man dead after officer-involved shooting in Colorado Springs

The officers have been placed on administrative leave while the Sheriff's Office investigates, authorities said. The investigation is ongoing.


Pueblo County

On Jan. 13, a car chase that began in Fremont County ended with deputies with the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office opening fire and killing a suspect, according to law enforcement.

The Pueblo County Sheriff's Office said in their release that the suspect driving the vehicle in the car chase hit a patrol vehicle before trying to hit another during the pursuit.

One suspect died as a result of gunfire and another suffered life-threatening injuries. No officers were injured, according to the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office.

Pueblo County deputies first got involved around 10:30 p.m. after the suspect vehicle had left Fremont County. Deputies tried to stop the vehicle, but it struck a Fremont County Sheriff patrol vehicle and nearly rammed a Canon City Police Department cruiser as it sped along U.S. 50 at a high rate of speed, according to the Sheriff's Office.

RELATED | 1 killed, 1 injured in chase and police shooting near Pueblo

After the suspect vehicle turned north off U.S. 50, a Pueblo deputy tried to use a PIT maneuver on the vehicle to get it to stop, which pushed the vehicle into a field near Platteville Boulevard and Matt Drive. The driver went through the field and got back on the county's roads at McClave Drive. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies used a PIT maneuver again on the vehicle near North Chapparal Drive and McClave Drive.

This time, the PIT maneuver caused the car to come to a stop in the front yard of a home on the 700 block of North Chapparal. The suspect vehicle then began driving toward an officer who opened fire, according to the Sheriff's Office.

The woman driving the car had to be rushed to a local hospital with serious injuries, law enforcement said. An 18-year-old passenger in the vehicle was shot and killed.

The Pueblo County Coroner's Office identified the 18-year-old passenger as Amiliano Apodaca of Pueblo.

The names of the people in the vehicle have not been released at this time.

The 10th Judicial District Critical Incident team is the lead investigative agency looking into the shooting and is made up of members of the Pueblo Police Department, Colorado State Patrol, the Pueblo County District Attorney's Office, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office. The Pueblo Police Department is the lead investigative agency.

Frisco

On Jan. 14, officers with the Frisco Police Department were called to the Whole Foods off Interstate 70 around 7:30 p.m. in regards to a disturbance. According to the Police Department, people reported a person there acting erratically inside the store.

RELATED | No officers injured, suspect in custody after shooting in Frisco Whole Foods parking lot

Officers were able to speak to the person in question in the grocery store's parking lot. According to a news release from 5th Judicial District Attorney's Office, the suspect - 33-year-old Derek Baker from Loveland - was shot in the arm by police. 

He was then evaluated at and released from St. Anthony Summit Medical Center to law enforcement. According to the District Attorney, Baker has health issues unrelated to the shooting.  He will likely be charged with a felony count of attempted vehicular assault and misdemeanor charges of menacing, eluding and disorderly conduct - though more charges could be filed in the coming days.

No officers were injured. The officer that fired their weapon has been placed on leave pending the investigation - a common occurrence after officer-involved shootings.

The investigation has been turned over to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

Aurora

Just before 2 a.m. on Jan. 15, law enforcement responded to the 1400 block of South Kenton Street after a resident called 911 to report a man inside their house with a gun acting strangely.

Officers arrived on scene to active gunfire from inside the home and were then confronted by a man armed and in body armor, according to a news release from the Aurora Police Department.

The man and officers exchanged gunfire. He was struck, police said. Minutes later, police found a man inside the home suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. 

Both the man in body armor and the man found inside the home were rushed to a nearby hospital where they died from their injuries, according to the Police Department.

The Arapahoe County Coroner's Office released the names of both men on Wednesday afternoon and the Police Department clarified who was who. Forty-two-year-old Edmond Trimble was the man wearing the body armor and 58-year-old Dean Heerdt was the man found with apparent gunshot wounds inside the home.

Both causes of death were listed as gunshot wounds and their deaths were classified as homicides.

RELATED | 2 dead after man in body armor confronts officers at Aurora home

Anyone who might have witnessed this incident to call Agent Randy Hansen with the Major Crimes/Homicide Unit at 303-739-6710.

The investigation is being handled by the Major Crimes/Homicide Unit in conjunction with the Denver Police Department. That's due to the passage of Senate Bill 15-219 which requires law enforcement agencies to team up with neighboring agencies to investigate officer-involved shootings.

Englewood

On Jan. 16, just before 8 a.m., an Englewood police officer shot a car thief suspect across the street from Swedish Medical Center, according to law enforcement.

Police first responded to the parking garage in the 600 block of East Hampden Avenue across from the hospital around 7:45 a.m. in response to a reported occupied stolen vehicle.

According to Englewood PD, when law enforcement arrived, an officer shot one of the suspects, who was taken to a nearby hospital. Another suspect was taken into custody.

A spokesperson for Swedish Medical Center told 9NEWS there is no safety concern inside the hospital and said they're operating normally.

MORE | Officer-involved shooting reported near Swedish Medical Center in Englewood

The condition of the suspect shot by police is unknown. No officers were hurt, police said.

The shooting remains under investigation.

Fort Lupton

More details were released Saturday regarding an officer-involved shooting in Fort Lupton during the afternoon of Jan. 16. 

Fort Lupton police said in a news release that just after 1:40 p.m., officers were involved in a shooting after a disturbance in the 600 block of 14th Street in town. According to a news release from the Weld County Sheriff's Office, 46-year-old Shawn Joseph Billinger of Fort Lupton was killed in the shooting.

Law enforcement is asking anyone for any information they may have that would further the investigation into this shooting. If you have any info, please call Commander Sanchez with the Johnstown Police Department at 970-587-2216 or Sergeant Bollig with the Greeley Police Department at 970-371-3932.

MORE: Disturbance in Fort Lupton escalates to officer-involved shooting

The 19th Judicial Critical Incident Response Team is handling the investigation. 

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