Jefferson County Sheriff's deputies shoot, kill suspect
Jefferson County Sheriff's Office deputies shot and killed a suspect on Wednesday afternoon. The shooting happened near Callae Drive and Piano Meadows Drive in Conifer.
The suspect in the officer involved shooting is deceased. He was shot after firing upon deputies with a shotgun. #Jeffco deputies were not hurt during the exchange of gunfire. CIRT is investigating. pic.twitter.com/qubj3Yv2tJ
— Jeffco Sheriff (@jeffcosheriffco) June 7, 2023
It all started when deputies were dispatched to the 13000 block of Pine Country Lane in Conifer on a welfare check. The person who called dispatchers said that an adult male was despondent and threatening suicide. When deputies arrived, a single shot was heard in the area and the search began for the shooter.
Deputies found the man who had a shotgun and was threatening to kill himself. For nearly two hours, deputies worked tirelessly to negotiate with the suspect to get him to surrender his weapon. SWAT negotiators were also deployed to assist.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said at one point the suspect put the shotgun on the ground. That's when deputies fired less-than-lethal shots, hitting the suspect twice in an effort to resolve the standoff. The suspect immediately picked up the shotgun, pointed it directly at deputies and fired. Two deputies returned fire, striking and killing the suspect.
"It's very sad," Jefferson County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Jacki Kelley said during a news conference said. "It's sad for the deputies that were forced into that situation."
The suspect has not been identified. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said there is no danger to the community.
No deputies were hurt in the exchange of gunfire. The Critical Incident Response Team is investigating.