Man fatally shot by police assaulted mother before shooting at officers, APD says

AURORA, Colo. — Witnesses told police that an 18-year-old man who was killed in a shootout with police assaulted his mother and threatened two other people before he fired shots at officers Sunday morning, the Aurora Police Department said. 

In a press conference Monday, Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain said the teen was beating his mother inside the apartment in the 1900 block of South Vaughn Street. Two witnesses, who Chamberlain said also lived in the apartment, told 911 the woman was being beaten and that they felt she was being held against her will.

Officers responded around 11:30 p.m. Saturday to the scene after those residents reported an argument between multiple people who lived in the same apartment, including one person with a handgun. The suspect, a Venezuelan native, spoke only Spanish, Chamberlain said. All other parties in the situation spoke only Spanish as well.

The caller reported a man assaulted a woman, threatened the caller and another roommate with the gun, and then returned inside an apartment with the victim, police said.

Aurora Police hostage negotiators were among officers who responded, along with an armored vehicle. Officers were able to facilitate the release of the mother without further injury, communicating in Spanish and English by both phone and bullhorn. They stayed at the scene to attempt to negotiate the suspect’s surrender, but he did not respond.

Around 1 a.m. Sunday, soon after the release of his mother, the man appeared in the second-floor doorway and fired multiple gunshots at officers, according to Chamberlain. One officer returned fire and hit the suspect.

Officers performed life-saving measures on the suspect until paramedics transported him to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He will be identified by the Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office.

Chamberlain said officers did everything they could to deescalate the situation.

“It’s unfortunate. It’s tragic. Officers tried everything they could do,” Chamberlain said Monday. 

Chamberlain emphasized that the shooter had limited responses to police.

“His only statement was when he stood at the top of the landing and shot at officers,” Chamberlain said. 

As for the mother, Chamberlain said it’s “a tragedy for her on so many levels.” Chamberlain said it was unclear how the man had obtained a gun.

The 18th Judicial Critical Incident Response Team is investigating the shooting, and police are also conducting a parallel administrative review.

The officer involved in the shooting has been placed on paid administrative leave.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.