A Mesa County resident died Sunday after a shootout with Grand Junction police officers investigating an assault.
Around 7:11 p.m. Sunday, police officers responded to reports of an assault that happened in the 400 block of 28 Road in Grand Junction, according to a news release from the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office.
The assault victim was taken to the emergency room with life-threatening injuries by a neighbor and hospital staff called police to report the assault, according to the release.
When Grand Junction officers arrived in the 400 block of 28 Road to investigate, the suspect refused to leave the home and shot at officers multiple times, law enforcement said. One Grand Junction police officer returned fire.
It’s not clear who the home belonged to or how the suspect and victim knew each other.
After shots were fired, officers called in SWAT teams from the Grand Junction Police Department and the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office, sheriff’s officials said. Investigators said they tried to talk to the suspect for several hours but didn’t get a response.
When SWAT entered the building, they found the suspect’s body.
Investigators did not say if the Grand Junction police officer shot and killed the suspect.
No information about the suspect, including age and gender, was available Monday morning, but investigators said the person will be identified by the Mesa County Coroner’s Office.
The shooting is under investigation by the 21st Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team and the officer involved is on paid administrative leave pending the results of that investigation.
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