Thanks to the bulletproof vests they were wearing, two Denver police officers narrowly escaped with their lives after being shot in two separate consecutive incidents within a 16-hour period.
The first incident unfolded at around 4 a.m. Wednesday, June 1, when a Denver Police Department (DPD) officer was stationed in a hotel parking lot on the city’s northwest side.
As the officer sat in his patrol car, a man emerged from a nearby hotel and opened fire at close range, targeting the officer through the passenger window.
Miraculously, despite being struck three times — twice in the back and once in the chest — the officer managed to exit the vehicle from the driver’s side and return fire, ultimately killing the assailant. He was later released from the hospital after a brief stay.
At about 7:30 that night, another officer responded to a report of gunfire in the vicinity of MLK Boulevard and Cherry Street on Denver’s east side. Acting on a witness description of the suspect, the officer spotted an individual matching the given details fleeing on a scooter and later on foot. A confrontation ensued, leading to an exchange of gunfire.
Although the officer was shot in the chest, he demonstrated remarkable resilience by returning fire and critically injuring the suspect. Like his fellow officer, he was released from the hospital after receiving medical treatment.
While the names of both the officers and the suspects involved have not been disclosed, it is known that both officers are male and have served with the police force for over five years.
DPD Division Chief Rick Kyle said that although body armor is not mandatory for officers, it is strongly encouraged.
“We’re very fortunate today. We could have lost two of our officers, but because of them keeping themselves safe, we’re in a very fortunate position,” Kyle stated in a press conference.
Chief Ron Thomas echoed Kyle’s sentiments in a separate press conference, acknowledging the challenging and dangerous nature of law enforcement work and the prevalence of firearms.
“Unfortunately there are a lot of guns in our society in Denver, and unfortunately there are neighborhoods where gunfire is a common occurrence,” he said.
In a statement released Thursday, DPD said having two officers shot in one day “definitely has an impact on the department and the officers.”
In response, the DPD highlighted the impact on the department and officers, urging them to seek counselling and mental health support resulting from the trauma of such incidents. The department commended the solidarity and support within the DPD family, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the officers’ well-being.
“We encourage officers to partake in the resiliency program following critical incidents such as these, and throughout the year to ensure they remain as healthy as possible, so that when trauma occurs, they are better equipped to handle it,” a statement from the department read read. “The DPD family is strong and when an officer is injured the outpouring of love and support is felt throughout the agency.”
The head of the department’s resiliency and wellness program, Sergeant Bobby Waidler, called the unprecedented day for the department “really unnerving and shocking.” He added that dozens of officers had reached out to talk to him, feeling overwhelmed and vulnerable.
Waidler reported that the two injured officers were recovering well but experiencing a wide range of emotions as they processed the events. “They’re upset, they’re scared, they’re wounded, they’re thinking about just how close they were to being killed,” he told 9 News.
Without the officers’ bulletproof vests, the outcome might have been very different. “We very easily could have had two separate funerals,” Waidler said.
