A man who pointed a gun at two Aurora police officers on Saturday, and who was fired upon by the officers, took his own life with his gun, Denver police said.
The police shooting happened at about 3:30 p.m. Saturday near East Alameda Avenue and South Galena Way, Denver police said in a Tuesday news release.
The incident unfolded when Aurora officers spotted a suspected stolen Hyundai Elantra, with no license plates, in the area of East Exposition Avenue and South Ironton Street in Aurora, the release said. The officers attempted to contact two men in the vehicle while it was parked at a gas station at East Alameda Avenue and South Galena Way, which is in Denver, near its border with Aurora.
Aurora officers, in uniform, approached the driver, identified as 31-year-old Anthony Edwards, as he left the gas station’s convenience store, Denver police said.
Edwards ran eastbound across Galena into an empty parking lot, the release said. The officers identified themselves, verbally, and gave commands for Edwards to stop. The suspect then “drew a handgun and pointed it at (the) officers.” One Aurora officer fired one shot at Edwards, and he again took off running. It’s unknown if he was struck and injured at that time, Denver police said.
Edwards ran north across Alameda pointing a handgun at the officers who fired a combined five rounds at him and “simultaneously” Edwards “raised his handgun to his own head and fired once,” the DPD release said.
Edwards was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
“In total, one APD officer fired two rounds and a second APD officer fired four rounds during this incident, striking Mr. Edwards,” Denver police said. “Mr. Edwards fired once, resulting in a self-inflicted injury.”
The Denver Office of the Medical Examiner has ruled his manner of death a “suicide,” the release said. “The number and location of the gunshot injuries caused by officers’ gunfire is part of the Medical Examiner’s investigation.”
Aurora police on Tuesday did not release the names of the officers who were involved. One officer has been with the department since 2018 and has not been involved with a prior police shooting case, a department spokesman said. The other officer is a “lateral officer” hired by the department in 2020. That officer has been involved in one prior police shooting. Both officers are on paid administrative leave, per department policy, pending further investigation.
The passenger in the suspect vehicle was contacted and initially detained, but not arrested, police said. The vehicle was stolen in June in Denver. Authorities have reviewed officers’ body-worn camera video as part of the ongoing police shooting investigation by the Denver District Attorney’s Office, Colorado Bureau of Investigations, Colorado State Patrol, and Denver Police Department.
