Thornton Police Officer Involved Incident

UPDATE: The Thornton Police Department has identified the suspect in the Felony Menacing/Domestic Violence incident occurring at 9793 Downing Street on 08-29-2011. Suspect is Carlos Jose Castro, Date of Birth: 08-24-1972 of 9793 Downing Street Thornton, CO. 80229. The suspect remains in critical condition at a local hospital. The case remains under active investigation by the Adams County Critical Incident Team.

On 08-29-2011, at approximately 5:10 pm, Thornton Police Officers were dispatched to 9793 Downing Street in reference to a disturbance with weapons, an adult male with a knife, and a physical altercation between and man and women in the front yard.

Preliminary investigation indicates that when officers arrived they confronted the armed suspect in the front yard of the residence. The suspect was armed with a large knife. Officers made multiple commands to the suspect to drop the knife and stop advancing towards the officers. An officer deployed his less lethal option- Taser and fired at the suspect. The Taser was unsuccessful in stopping the suspect. One officer then fired their weapon at the suspect striking the suspect. The suspect was taken into custody and transported to a local hospital in an unknown condition.

It was determined that this was a Domestic Violence incident involving a husband and wife. Prior to the police arrival the suspect was reported to be damaging property in front of the house. This led to a physical altercation in the front yard between the husband and wife. There were no reported injuries to officers or the wife. There were two children in the home during the disturbance, a 16 year old female and a 9 year old male, no injuries reported to the children.

The Thornton Police Department was called to the residence on 08-28-2011, at approximately 10:05 pm regarding a text message being made over the telephone by the husband. He was contacted last night, no crime was established. On January 9th, 2011, police responded to a call of an unwanted party at the residence, the husband was identified as the unwanted party; investigation revealed no crime and one party voluntarily left the residence.

The identity of the suspect is being withheld pending updated medical condition of the suspect at the hospital.

Two officers have been placed on administrative leave pending further investigation by the Adams County Critical Incident Team.