By Julianna O’Clair
The Denver Post
PUEBLO, Colo. — A man who Pueblo police officers fatally shot on June 19 apparently fired a gun at them first, according to body-worn camera footage, still images and dispatch recordings that were released in a video briefing Monday.
“[K-9] Malice was not only a loyal partner, he was a trusted and loved member of my family,” said Deputy Jantzen Ward, Malice’s handler. “He will be missed and never forgotten”
Designating the station a school will allow officers to search people suspected of illegally carrying a gun in the downtown area, Commissioner Anne Kirkpatrick said
Under the new law, uniformed officers must document the “aggregate number” of Level 1 encounters, at the end of their shifts
Brent Simpson served in the Navy as an operation specialist with the Military Police before starting work as a K-9 officer at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department in 2006
The footage, part of a video briefing released Monday, shows a Pueblo officer shouting “Hands, hands, you’re going to get shot,” and telling the man not to reach into his pockets. Gunfire can be seen and heard as the man shoots at officers through the windshield, according to the video. An officer then returned fire, fatally shooting him while he was inside his car. The man, who has not been publicly identified, was declared deceased on scene, according to the department.
The video briefing also shows pictures of a stolen handgun that was recovered from the man vehicle and images of bulletholes on the hood and roof of a patrol vehicle.
The shooting happened when officers responded to reports of a man with a weapon in the 1400 block of U.S. 50 around 7:45 p.m. on June 19, according to a statement from police.
The video released by Pueblo Police includes a clip from the call reporting a man with a weapon. Three men were sitting in a black Dodge car in a deli parking lot with a gun pointing through the driver’s side door, according to the caller. The men later walked into the deli, the caller said.
Police responded to the call and found the suspect’s vehicle in the parking lot of a Popeyes restaurant in the 1500 block of U.S. 50, police said.
Six Pueblo police officers and one dispatcher were placed on administrative leave after the fatal shooting.
The shooting is under investigation by the 10th Judicial District, led by the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office.
Sign up to get crime news sent straight to your inbox each day.
©2024 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit at denverpost.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
