Officers Shoot, Injure Suspect Following Early Morning Shooting on Denver’s 16th Street

DENVER, Colorado – A police-involved shooting early Sunday morning left two people hospitalized—including a suspect—after officers responded to a separate shooting incident on the 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver.

According to Denver Police, officers were dispatched just before 2:00 a.m. to a report of a shooting at the intersection of 16th and California. The initial shooting occurred inside an apartment complex in the busy corridor.

Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas said officers responding to the call attempted to detain the suspect, which led to a pursuit.

“Officers pursued that individual into the vestibule of an apartment complex, a mid-block on 16th Street,” Chief Thomas stated. “They confronted that individual and challenged him. They identified he had a gun. He did not drop the gun, putting the officers in a position where they felt that they were endangered.”

At that point, two officers shot the suspect. The injured suspect was taken to a hospital. The victim from the initial shooting was also hospitalized. Both individuals are reported to be in stable condition, according to Denver Police.

Video sent in by a viewer showed a man on a stretcher inside the lobby of the apartment complex where the confrontation unfolded.

The incident took place on Denver’s recently renovated 16th Street, an area that has seen boosted police presence, private security, and park ranger patrols as part of a revitalization plan.

The Downtown Denver Partnership has noted that 80% of downtown stakeholders feel safety on 16th Street has improved. However, as Chief Thomas’s account confirms, incidents like Sunday’s early morning shooting can cast a shadow on that perception.

Police continue to investigate both the initial shooting and the subsequent officer-involved shooting. No further details about the identity of the suspect or the victim have been released at this time.