A Denver Police Department vehicle in Denver on August 5, 2020. (Eric Lubbers, The Colorado Sun)

A Denver police officer was shot in the leg and police have launched a search for the shooter.

Officers responded late Saturday to a home in northwest Denver in the Sunnyside neighborhood on a report of a person on a porch who did not belong there, Division Chief Ron Thomas told reporters early Sunday.

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The shooter opened fire on officers at the scene on the 4200 block of Alcott Street and one officer was shot in the leg, Thomas said. The officer was taken to Denver Health Medical Hospital in critical condition.

“We are still holding our breath a little bit,” Thomas said. The officer has been with the Denver Police Department for about five years.

The shooter got away, and police were not immediately sure whether the suspect was in custody. Thomas said officers have made contact with multiple “individuals of interest,” but the investigation was still ongoing.

Authorities set up a perimeter in the area of the shooting in search of the suspect. Residents in the community northwest of downtown were encouraged to stay inside their homes.

The Colorado Sun contributed to this report.

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