A woman hostage was fatally shot at the Arista Flats apartments on Thursday during an over three-hour-long standoff in Broomfield, Colorado, where a male suspect was shot by officers before being arrested, authorities said in a news release.
The female victim was transported to a local hospital after suffering from gunshot wounds. Police reported later that she died but did not release her name or age.
The 34-year-old male suspect was also taken to a local hospital with serious injuries, according to authorities, who have yet to release the charges against the suspect.
Several law enforcement officers were reported to have received minor injuries that were treated and then released.
Rachel Haslett, Broomfield Police Department public information officer, at a media briefing, said she does not know how many shots were fired during the standoff, but the suspect and law enforcement did trade fire.
Haslett added that gunfire was fired “sporadically throughout the process.”
Haslett said she didn’t know who shot the woman who was being held hostage and that the shooting was under investigation.
Disturbance Complaint at 6:30 am
Broomfield police responded earlier to a disturbance complaint at Arista Flats just after 6:30 a.m. Officers arrived at the scene and heard the male suspect yelling and making threats to hurt people inside the unit.
Shortly after, the suspect began shooting at officers, into other apartments and the parking lot, authorities said.
“It became very, very, very unsafe for those officers within minutes as he was shooting not only at surrounding units but also into the parking lot,” said Haslett. “There were a lot of people in danger.”
The scene became an active shooting situation, and residents were urged to either evacuate or shelter in place. The SWAT team, crisis negotiators, and surrounding law enforcement were reported to assist in the incident.
Police Breach Apartment
Hostage negotiators worked with the suspect for more than three hours until they forced their way into the apartment and found the suspect holding the woman hostage. During the forced entry, at least one officer fired his weapon, according to Haslett.
The police then arrested the suspected, she said.
Haslett said she did not know what weapons the suspect used and that the location would remain an active crime scene to process how many gunshots were fired, look for shell casings, and determine everything that might have happened.
“At this time, we don’t have any reports of any other people being injured in any of the other nearby units,” said Haslett.
The Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) of the 17th Judicial District is now investigating the incident. Officers who fired their weapons during the incident have been placed on administrative leave per department policy, according to a Broomfield police statement.
Broomfield police said residents impacted by this incident who cannot return to their apartments can go to the Broomfield Community Center at 280 Spader Way for help and information. Residents who find any items or damage related to the crime can call the non-emergency line at 303-438-6400.