1 woman dead after shooting with Denver police officers near Broadway and Lawrence Street

The Denver Police Department posted a message on X Sunday saying a woman was dead following an officer-involved shooting at Broadway and Lawrence Street.

DPD says the woman who was shot was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officers are asking the public to avoid the area as roads are closed and drivers should expect delays. Alternative routes are recommended for drivers in the area.

Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas spoke to the media about what led to the shooting Sunday and said officers received a report that a person was armed with a knife at the intersection from Broadway and Lincoln Street.

“Two calls were received, one from a Denver park ranger and the other from a passerby, describing the individual saying he was at the intersection with a knife,” Thomas said. “Officers arrived on scene a few minutes later and encountered the woman still at the intersection, holding the knife.”

He then recalled the moments leading up to the shooting, adding: “The officers gave them a series of commands to drop the weapon, during which they refused and actually began advancing toward the officers, who then deployed a Taser twice. » “Taser deployments appeared to have an impact, but did not have the desired effect.”

“The officers then took their handguns and fired several shots. The suspect fell and the officers immediately called an ambulance and began rendering aid. The ambulance arrived within two minutes and unfortunately found the death of the suspect.”

Thomas also added that officers will now begin critical incident protocol and that an investigation is currently underway at the scene, led by the department, the Colorado State Patrol and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.