Injured Denver Police Officer Expected To Have Full Recovery, Suspect Identified
DENVER (CBS4) - CBS4 has learned the name of the suspect who was shot and killed during a shootout with police in Denver on Wednesday.
The suspect has been identified as Phillip Munoz.
According to Colorado Department of Corrections documents, Munoz, 35, has been in and out of prison in recent years and has long criminal history. He was serving a 10-year prison sentence when a parole board gave him parole in 2013.
It's not clear why he was wanted by police, but according to Sue Lindsay with the Adams County District Attorney's Office, there was an arrest warrant issued for Munoz out of Thornton on Nov. 12 for first-degree assault causing serious bodily injury with a deadly weapon.
A Denver police officer who was shot while trying to apprehend Munoz is expected to make a full recovery.
Denver Police Technician John Ruddy was shot in the leg while assisting in detaining Munoz for another agency. Munoz was pronounced dead at the scene at 25th Avenue and North Meade Street.
Ruddy was rushed to Denver Health Medical Center in critical condition and had surgery for the serious injury to his leg.
On Thursday morning, the police department said Ruddy's condition has been upgraded to good and he is expected to make a full recovery.
The series of events began about 1 p.m. Wednesday when officers gathered around a senior living center near Sloan's Lake. They were attempting to apprehend Munoz, a fugitive wanted in a jurisdiction outside Denver. When officers spotted Munoz getting into a car with a man believed to be his father and a woman, they followed him and he stepped on the gas.
"The Denver Police Department was trying to apprehend a dangerous felon, he was wanted," said Denver Police Deputy Chief Matt Murray.
According to police, Munoz drove between two houses in the alley off 25th and Meade. The car struck a gas meter which ignited a fire.
"At that point he did strike a gas meter, he exited his vehicle and at that time he tried to flee from officers again," said Denver Police spokesman Eranda Piyasena.
"The fire department got here, the house went up in flames and the next thing you know in a matter of minutes it was like 'Boom, boom, boom!'," said witness John Gorman.
Gunfire began just before 3:30 p.m. It's not clear who fired first.
Munoz was also shot and was pronounced dead at the scene. He was wearing a sheriff's department shirt.