Denver police shoot man allegedly holding woman hostage after road rage shooting
Denver police shot a man early Saturday morning who, according to police, was holding a woman hostage after a police chase stemming from a road rage shooting earlier in the night.
The shooting happened near York Street and East 35th Avenue but started when a man called 911 saying someone shot at his car near Interstate 25 and Colfax Avenue. The caller followed the car, which had four people inside, according to police, until officers tried to pull that car over. When it wouldn't stop, police used more aggressive maneuvers causing that car to crash.
Police chased that car until it crashed near the 3500 block of York Street, Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas said in a news conference. That's when one of the people in the car took a woman hostage with a gun.
"Officers believed he had a gun and was threatening to kill this individual," Thomas said. "Officers continued to negotiate, trying to get him to release the hostage and discard the weapon. He did not do that. At one point a single officer did fire a single shot striking the suspect. They both went down but the male did not release control of the female. Negotiations continued and they were able to secure both individuals safely."
The man shot by the officer is in the hospital. The woman also went to the hospital with injuries police believe she sustained in the crash.
Police say they're now working to figure out the involvement of all four people in the car, who are all now in custody.
The original 911 caller did not get hurt, police said.
Footage from the scene shows a red Ford F-150 being towed, but it wasn't immediately clear if that was the suspect's vehicle.
If you're a victim in a road rage incident, police say you should get as much information about the vehicle as possible, including the license plate number, but they do not recommend following the suspect on your own.
