An early morning police shooting in Thornton left one man dead and sent a police officer to the hospital, police said Wednesday.

The shooting happened near Gale Boulevard and West Thornton Parkway — between Pecos and Huron streets — around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday, the police department said in a news release.

When officers approached a man suspected to be involved in an assault that happened at a nearby gas station, a fight broke out, police said in the release.

The suspect grabbed a gun in one of the Thornton officers’ holsters and the two struggled over the weapon, police said. The officer was shot during the struggle and another Thornton officer shot the suspect.

Police said the assault suspect died at the scene and paramedics transported the officer to a hospital with “serious but non-life-threatening injuries.”

The Adams County Coroner will identify the man who was killed after notifying his family.

Police said the officer who shot the unidentified man had been with the Thornton Police Department for one year and was placed on administrative leave following the shooting, per standard protocol.

The 17th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team and District Attorney’s Office will investigate the shooting.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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Originally Published: July 24, 2024 at 6:49 a.m.