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Police ID suspect in northeast Denver officer-involved shooting

Posted at 4:57 PM, Sep 09, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-09 19:08:05-04

DENVER – A vehicle theft suspect who was shot by police in northeast Denver Friday evening has been identified and more details about the shooting have been released.

Sergio Casimiro-Mejia, 19, was wounded after he was shot by a Denver Police Department officer Friday night in the area of East 45th Avenue and Kingston Street, a semi-industrial area west of the Montbello neighborhood.

During a news conference Saturday afternoon, a DPD spokesperson said a tip came in to the police department at around 9:02 p.m. reporting that a man was inside a stolen vehicle.

Police said the caller confronted Casimiro-Mejia, at which point he brandished a handgun at the caller, prompting him to call police.  

The spokesman said once police arrived at the scene, they contacted the suspect who was non-compliant and who even tried to flee the scene by putting the stolen vehicle in reverse.

After failing to flee, the suspect then started driving toward the officer and began raising a handgun with his right hand. The officer, fearing for his life, fired one shot at the suspect, striking him in the lower jaw and shoulder area.

Police said Casimiro-Mejia then surrendered and was taken to Denver Health Medical Center where he was treated for non-life threatening injuries.

He is now in custody at the Denver Detention Center and is being held on aggravated vehicle theft, felony menacing and possession of a weapon by a previous offender charges.

The DPD officer involved in the shooting, who was not identified during the press conference, has been with the department since October 2005. He was placed on administrative leave per department policy.

The investigation is ongoing.