THORNTON, Colo – A suspect who had been walking through traffic on the interstate near Denver and brandishing a weapon when confronted by officers was fatally shot on Monday.
Police received several 911 calls at about 7:30 a.m. regarding a man walking in traffic on I-25, causing cars to swerve out of the way. One person told dispatch that she nearly hit the man with her vehicle, the Thornton Police Department said in a news release, according to The Denver Post.
Officers were attempting to talk to the unnamed 29-year-old suspect when he “produced a weapon” and was shot by one of the officers, police said in the statement.
I-25 is closed in both directions, from 84th Ave to Thornton Pkwy, because of a Thornton PD officer-involved shooting. One adult male transported to area hospital. This investigation is in the early stages, with limited info right now. Updates here… pic.twitter.com/hSDNO9cfYb
— Thornton Police Dept (@ThorntonPolice) September 5, 2022
Following the shooting, the suspect was transported to a local hospital but did not survive. His name was being withheld pending positive identification by the Adams County Coroner’s Office as well as notification to his family.
A police spokesperson did not immediately provide additional details or identify the kind of weapon that was brandished by the suspect, Fox News reported.
The 17th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team is investigating the officer-involved shooting.
Thornton is a suburb of Denver with about 140,000 residents.
