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Homicide suspect falls from Boulder parking garage after being shot at by police

The suspect had two children with him at the time of the incident, police said.

BOULDER, Colo. — A homicide suspect fell from the top floor of the parking garage at Table Mesa Park and Ride and died after an officer with the Boulder Police Department shot at him.

The suspect has been identified as Jose Gallegos, 38, of Boulder, according to the Boulder County Coroner.

Boulder Police said they were called to an apartment near 28th Street and Diagonal Highway around 3:15 p.m. Friday to check on the welfare of a woman who lived there.

A few minutes later, police said the same person who called them called again and said that the woman's husband was leaving the apartment with two children, who are 6 and 12 years old, and might be armed with a gun. 

Police arrived at the apartment and found the woman was dead, and determined she had been murdered. The woman has been identified as Martha Sianez-Hernandez, 32, of Boulder, according to the Boulder County Coroner. 

Meanwhile, other officers began searching for the suspect, police said. They spotted the suspect's vehicle and followed it to the top floor of the Table Mesa Park and Ride parking garage. 

Police said the two children were still inside the suspect's car.

Officers tried to negotiate with the suspect for what police said was a "prolonged period of time" but were unsuccessful. At some point, police fired a gun. 

The officer involved was later identified as St. Matt DeLaria, a 20-year veteran officer with the University of Colorado Boulder Police Department (CUPD). DeLaria is a member of the Boulder Police SWAT team and has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation.

Police do not know if the suspect was hit by the gunfire. He then fell from the parking garage. 

The suspect was brought to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. 

The children were not physically harmed, according to police.

The Boulder County Critical Incident Team will investigate the officer-involved shooting, and Boulder Police will continue to investigate the initial homicide.

The cause and manner of death of both Gallegos and Sianez-Hernandez are pending further investigation, the county coroner said. 

The Table Mesa Park and Ride is located near US 36 and Foothills Parkway.

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