COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A suspect was shot and killed by Colorado Springs police Thursday morning after allegedly ignoring officers' commands while walking around a parking lot with an AR-15.
The shooting occurred along the 500 block of W. Garden of the Gods Road, which is just west of Interstate 25.
The Colorado Springs Police Department and the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, which is investigating the shooting, said at around 6:30 a.m. local time, officers located a stolen vehicle in the parking lot of a Quality Inn. Officers attempted to contact a suspect, but he fled in his vehicle before it got stuck in a parking lot when the vehicle got "high-centered."
The suspect then got out of the vehicle with an AR-15 pointed at his chin, the sheriff's office said.
The suspect walked across the parking lot of a gas station toward a person pumping gas as officers commanded him to drop the weapon. The suspect ignored the officers, according to the sheriff's office.
Police attempted to use a Taser on the suspect, but it was not effective, police and the sheriff's office said. At that point, an officer fired at least one round at the suspect. He was struck at least once.
The suspect was transported to a local hospital, where he later died.
The sheriff's office said the man's identity would be released by the coroner once his next-of-kin was notified.
This story was originally published by Stephanie Butzer on Scripps station KMGH in Denver.
