Brighton Police shoot armed man

At about 8:45 p.m. last night, a Brighton police officer shot an armed 36-year-old Brighton man who was advancing upon him, after the suspect reportedly threatened several people in separate incidents and led officers on a vehicle pursuit. The wounded man was transported to Denver Health Center, where he later died. The identity of the suspect is not being released at this time.

At about 8:09 p.m. on Saturday, January 7, 2012, Brighton police were dispatched to the 7-11 store located at 1012 E. Bridge St. on a report of a white male in a silver-colored Honda Accord threatening a citizen with a gun. When officers arrived a few minutes later, there was nobody matching that description, and the victim, who reportedly fled the scene after being threatened, was unable to provide further information about the male suspect.

Approximately 20 minutes later, at 8:28 p.m., officers received information that a citizen near 26th Ave. and Egbert St. had reported hearing something that sounded like gunshots.

At 8:29 p.m., police were dispatched to reports of a white male threatening people at the Diamond Shamrock store located at 385 E. Bromley Lane. The male was reported to have left the store eastbound on Bromley Lane from 4th Ave. in a silver-colored Honda Accord. A Brighton officer in a marked patrol unit spotted a vehicle matching that description eastbound on Bromley Lane in the area, and attempted to pull-over the vehicle, which failed to stop.

The suspect vehicle fled southbound on Chambers Road from Bromley Lane, then turned onto eastbound 144th Ave. After running over tire-deflation devices placed by police at 144th Ave. and Buckley Road, the suspect vehicle pulled over briefly just east of Buckley Road on 144th Ave., and then started moving again. At this point, one of the officers reportedly saw what looked like a gun in the driver’s hand.
The suspect vehicle came to a stop near the 3200 block of 144th Ave., after the front passenger-side tire became fully deflated. The male suspect then got out of his car holding a handgun, ignored several commands to drop the weapon, and was walking directly towards the officers, still holding the gun, when he was shot by police.

The incident is being investigated by the Adams County Critical Incident Investigations Team.