One person is dead after a police shooting Thursday that followed a morning spent negotiating with a man police said was armed with a gun in the parking lot of nonprofit A Precious Child.
More than one Broomfield police officer fired their weapons at the man, Public Information Officer Rachel Haslett said in a Thursday afternoon news conference. She could not say what prompted officers to fire their guns because the investigation is not complete.
Haslett said officers responded to a 911 call at 9:08 a.m. from someone inside the nonprofit who said they heard a man outside threatening to hurt himself.
Shortly after officers arrived, they noticed he had a gun, and called in the department’s Crisis Negotiating Team and its mental health Co-Response Team. They spent more than three hours negotiating with the man, trying to resolve the situation peacefully. The shooting occurred just before 1 p.m., according to a news release from Broomfield police.
The officers involved, none of whom were injured, will be placed on administrative leave while the Critical Incident Response Team of the 17th Judicial District investigates, according to the Broomfield Police Department.
A Precious Child, 7051 W. 118th Ave., was in “secure mode” and surrounding buildings were asked to secure their doors and restrict external access after police responded. A shelter-in-place order was not sent to the area “as the threat is contained, and everyone inside the nonprofit’s building is safe and secure,” according to a post from the Broomfield Police on X.
At least several people were evacuated during the incident, including seven children, according to the department. On Thursday, it was not clear yet whether the man had a connection with the nonprofit or anyone inside or if he lived in Broomfield.
The Adams and Broomfield County Coroner’s Office will identify the man and determine his cause and manner of death.
A Precious Child serves children and their caregivers in need across eight Denver-region counties by providing essential resources and holistic support through partnerships to help children achieve their full potential, according to its website.
