(COLORADO SPRINGS) — The suspects in an officer-involved shooting that occurred early Saturday morning have been identified as teenagers, and have been arrested on multiple charges, according to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO).
The incident began shortly after 4:00 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 16, when EPSO deputies and officers with the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) were trying to locate a a suspected stolen car that may have been used in other violent crimes earlier that morning in both Colorado Springs and El Paso County jurisdictions.
EPSO said law enforcement found the car in the 5900 block of Constitution Avenue, just east of North Powers Boulevard, and when officers and deputies tried to make contact with the car, it drove away. EPSO said CSPD force-stopped the car, and one of the suspects who got out of the car had a handgun.
EPSO said at least one CSPD officer fired at least one shot at the suspect, hitting him. The suspect was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. The other two suspects in the car ran on foot, but were taken into custody without incident a short distance away.
In an update on Tuesday, EPSO said the investigation had revealed that all three suspects in this incident, including the suspect with the handgun, were minors. Due to their ages, their identities are not being released, however EPSO did say all three had been arrested on numerous felony charges:
Attempted Murder
Two counts of Attempted Armed Robbery
Conspiracy
Motor Vehicle Theft
Assault on a Peace Officer
EPSO said those charges stemmed from the shooting incident, as well as the reported violent crimes that led up to the shooting. EPSO said the suspect who was shot was reportedly stable as of Tuesday, Dec. 19.
