NORTHGLENN — A Northglenn police officer was shot twice and a suspect killed when gunfire erupted Thursday morning in a quiet neighborhood as authorities served a narcotics search warrant.
The officer was transported in stable condition to a nearby hospital, said Sara Farris, a spokeswoman for North Metro Fire Rescue. He was released from the hospital Thursday evening.
Cmdr. Ron Haralson, a police spokesman, said the warrant was being served by SWAT officers. He declined to say whether the wounded officer was a member of the SWAT team, which consists of Northglenn and Thornton police.
Haralson said the shooting happened about 10 a.m. in the 10900 block of East 109th Place. He said five adults inside the home were taken into custody for questioning. There were also three children in the house at the time of the raid, police said.
“The suspect fired at officers, and officers returned fire,” Haralson said, adding that the gunfire was limited to inside the home.
Haralson identified the suspect only as an adult male and declined to speak further on the nature of the narcotics search.
“We can’t really talk about his role because this is still ongoing,” Haralson said of the suspect.
The 17th Judicial District Critical Incident Team, made up of county prosecutors and police agencies, is investigating the use of force.
“Anytime you’re using SWAT, there’s a lot of planning that goes into that,” Haralson said.
John Cook, who lives about three homes down from the raid, said he heard a loud bang and came outside to see what it was.
“I saw the cops running around, and then the gunfire started,” Cook said. “I grabbed my pups and headed for the basement.”
Cook said the people who live in that home moved in a few months ago. “It’s a pretty quiet neighborhood, so that was definitely unusual,” he said.