Five people were hurt in Lower Downtown Denver early Sunday when police officers shot a man they say was armed as bars in the crowded entertainment district let out.
The five people, three women and two men, are expected to survive their injuries. They appear to have been innocent bystanders wounded in officers’ crossfire.
The Denver Police Department says they are investigating whether the bystanders’ injuries were directly a result of officers’ gunfire. Police, in a news release sent more than 12 hours after the shooting, said injuries caused by ricocheting bullets or shrapnel would be considered indirect wounds.
The suspect, who was also wounded in the shooting, does not appear to have fired his weapon. He, too, is expected to survive.
“The (Denver Police Department) is certainly concerned about these individuals and will remain in contact with them to see how it can best assist with their recoveries,” the department said in the news release.
The shooting happened at about 1:30 a.m. at the busy intersection of 20th and Larimer streets, which is surrounded by nightclubs and not far from Coors Field, where the Colorado Rockies play.
Division Chief Ron Thomas said officers’ “attention was drawn to a disturbance involving an armed” man and that officers confronted the person, “who posed a significant threat.”
“Officers discharged their weapons. The party went down. Officers immediately began to render aid,” Thomas said. “At this time they also became aware of other individuals within the crowd who had also been injured as a result of this incident.”
In a news released sent Sunday evening, Denver police said the man was armed with a handgun, which he allegedly pointed at officers.
Three officers then fired at the man, according to police.
The man, identified as 21-year-old Jordan Waddy, does not appear to have fired the handgun during the encounter, police said.
Waddy is being held on suspicion of felony menacing and being a previous offender in possession of a weapon.
“The investigation into this incident, to include interviews and forensic work, is active and ongoing,” the news release said. “The Denver Police Department understands the community’s desire for additional information and the department is committed to both maintaining the integrity of this investigation and sharing additional details as soon as information has been confirmed through the investigation.”
The three officers who fired at Waddy are on administrative leave, which is standard practice. Their names were not released.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Colorado State Patrol and Denver Office of the Independent Monitor are assisting with the investigation into the shooting. The Denver District Attorney’s Office is also investigating the shooting.