Lakewood Police Department officials identified the police officer who was killed in a shootout on an RTD bus Thursday as Agent Nic Graham.
Graham was shot to death and three other police agents were wounded when a man opened fire on them after they boarded a Regional Transportation District bus at a busy metro Denver intersection Thursday evening, authorities said.
Police shot and killed the suspect, and a bystander was also wounded in the exchange of gunfire, which sent nearby drivers scrambling to get away from the violence.
The four police agents were responding to a report of a suspicious person near West Colfax Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard about 6:30 p.m. Thursday, agency spokesperson John Romero said.
The agents saw a suspect from an earlier hit-and-run crash boarding the northbound RTD bus, Lakewood police officials said. The agents got on the bus, police said, and the suspect fired at them. The agents shot back, officials said, killing the man.
Romero said the agents who were shot were taken to area hospitals, including Denver Health. Gov. Jared Polis’ office confirmed the injured bystander was also taken to a hospital.
“Our main concern is the family of our agent who died, and our other agents who were shot,” Romero said during a news conference Thursday night. He declined to answer questions about a red car that crashed into the bus.
The police department refers to its police officers as agents because it was modeled after the FBI when it was founded in 1970 as the Lakewood Department of Public Safety; its employees originally wore suits, not uniforms.
Denver Health representatives confirmed Friday morning that all patients brought to the hospital from the bus shootout had been discharged, but didn’t immediately specify how many the facility had admitted.
One patient was taken to CommonSpirit St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood and remained there Friday morning with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, hospital officials said. That patient was in fair condition, which generally means they are conscious and their vital signs are stable.
Arianna McKibbin, who was celebrating her 13th birthday Thursday, witnessed the shooting as she and her grandmother were stopped in their vehicle at a red light at West Colfax Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard, Arianna said Friday. They noticed several police cars around them at the intersection before anything happened, she said. Then the officers suddenly turned on their lights, crossed the intersection and approached the bus.
“We heard gunfire go off,” Arianna said. They waited through two cycles of the traffic light as police vehicles sped by before her grandmother was able to drive away, Arianna said.
“I’m just scared from it,” she said. “I never witnessed any gunshots before, so it was kind of out of the blue.”
Another witness, Teddy O’Brien, told 9News that he and several other drivers were stopped next to the bus at a red light when the shooting happened. He said several police cruisers surrounded the bus before officers rushed to it with guns and flashlights drawn.
“They hopped on and then shots instantly started ringing from there,” he said. “I instantly just saw shots firing and I ducked down, because you know I’m freaking out at that point.”
O’Brien said he saw only one or two people on the bus besides the driver. He said he heard about 30 or 40 gunshots and saw smoke and flashes of light coming from both the front and back of the bus. A dashcam video recorded by another witness, Shaun Stewart, captured a flurry of gunshots as he drove south on Wadsworth Boulevard.
Dozens of police officers gathered outside Denver Health after the shooting and a bagpiper played “Amazing Grace” in tribute to the officer who was killed. A long procession of police vehicles then left the hospital.
On Friday, the Lakewood Police Department said in a statement that other law enforcement agencies will cover parts of Lakewood’s jurisdiction in the coming days so Lakewood’s staff and officers can have time to grieve.
“Words cannot express the profound sorrow our department and community feel tonight over the loss of our fallen hero, who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to Lakewood,” Romero said in a statement. “Our hearts are heavy, and we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with their loved ones, lifting them up in unwavering support, love, and prayer during this unimaginable time.”
RTD officials released a statement saying the agency was deeply concerned by the shooting on the bus servicing Route 76.
“Our thoughts are with those affected directly by this incident,” officials wrote in a statement posted on social media Thursday night. “The safety and well-being of our customers, employees and partners remain our highest priority.”
After the shooting, Polis said in a statement he was heartbroken by the incident.
“Thank you to law enforcement who run into danger to keep us safe and to protect our communities,” Polis said.
Law enforcement agencies from across Colorado began posting statements of support in the hours after the deadly shooting.
“What happened Thursday night will be felt throughout Lakewood and across Colorado’s law enforcement community,” the Denver Department of Public Safety said in a statement. “We ask everyone to keep those affected by this tragedy close in their thoughts and prayers.”
The Arvada Police Department noted that “we are sadly familiar with the loss of a police officer in the line of duty.”
“No words at this moment will bring solace to those who wear the Lakewood Agent badge,” the agency said on social media.
The Jefferson County Critical Incident Team is investigating police actions in the shooting.
Denver Post staff writer Meg Wingerter and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Source: www.denverpost.com
