Video shows deadly Aurora police shooting of suspect on May 4
KDVR Fox 31
DENVER (KDVR) — The Aurora Police Department released body-worn camera footage and their account of the May 4 response call when officers shot and killed a shooting suspect.
The incident took place off 14th Avenue in the 1400 block of Clinton Avenue. Officers were first called to the area for reports of shots fired and a man with a gun. The department shared a 911 call in which a victim reported a man with a gun to his head in the caller's house and then told dispatchers the gun-wielder had shot him in the leg.
Later, the victim told an officer that the suspect was a friend who had been sitting on the victim's couch with a gun to his head. He fired one shot off in the house, the victim told officers, and that's when the victim called 911 and was subsequently shot.
Officers arrived at about 7:45 p.m. and found the suspect in a red Mustang leaving the scene, which started a police chase. The department reported that the chase was brief, as officers quickly lost sight of the vehicle.
Aurora officer shoot, kill suspect
Other officers remained at the original scene and located the victim, a 29-year-old Aurora man. While speaking with the victim, Aurora police were notified by bystanders and witnesses that the suspect had returned and was seen "looking into a window" in the alleyway near where the original shooting occurred.
The video shows officers yell at the suspect before shooting seconds later.
"The suspect was still armed with a gun, continuing to pose an immediate threat to community members and officers," said Heather Morris, the Aurora Police Department interim chief, in the pre-recorded incident briefing. "Both officers gave commands to the suspect before firing their weapons."
Aurora Fire Rescue arrived on the scene after officers shot their weapons and performed life-saving actions, according to the Aurora police. The suspect was then transported to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
The department identified the suspect as 28-year-old Jose Rodriguez-Balderrama.
Officers also reported recovering a Glock 22 40-caliber handgun with a 20-round large-capacity magazine and an "auto-switch" that the department said allows the user to convert a semi-automatic handgun into a fully automatic weapon.
Both officers who fired their weapons at the suspect have been placed on restricted duty in a non-patrol assignment. The 18th Judicial District's Critical Incident Response Team is investigating to determine if the officers took criminal action.