A man was fatally shot by a sheriff’s deputy Saturday after allegedly killing a family member, carjacking a good Samaritan at knifepoint and attacking law enforcement, according to Brighton police.
Brighton officers responded to a report of an assault in the 200 block of North 11th Avenue at 8:44 a.m. and found a 72-year-old man dead. Police wrote in a social media post that family members identified the suspect as a relative of the victim and told officers that the suspect “had been acting erratically.”
At 9:37 a.m., Thornton police responded to a crash involving a vehicle driven by the suspect and learned he carjacked a passerby who stopped to help.
Minutes later, an Adams County Sheriff’s Office deputy spotted the stolen vehicle at the home of a family member of the suspect and his deceased victim, located in unincorporated Adams County near Thornton.
When the deputy confronted the suspect, he shot at them, and the deputy returned fire, according to Brighton police and ACSO Sgt. Adam Sherman.
The shooting is being investigated by the 17th Judicial District Critical Incident Response team, police said. The suspect and his deceased victim will be identified by the Adams County Coroner’s Office.
Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact the Brighton Police Department at 303-655-8740.
Sign up to get crime news sent straight to your inbox each day.