Contact: Sarah Huntley, City of Boulder Media Relations, 303-441-3155
Boulder police are continuing to investigate the officer-involved shooting and standoff with an armed suspect that occurred during the early morning on University Hill.
The suspect, who is being treated at Boulder Community Hospital, has been identified as Coleman Stewart, with a date of birth of Nov. 30, 1990. He received two gunshot wounds during the incident. His condition is believed to be non-life threatening.
Stewart lived in the residence where the shooting occurred, an apartment building on the southeast corner of 11th and College streets. He is a non-degree-seeking student taking classes through CU-Boulder Continuing Education.
According to friends of the suspect, Stewart had consumed alcohol at an establishment in downtown Boulder. Concerned about his intoxication level, friends placed him in a taxi to ensure his safe arrival home. As the taxi neared its destination at about 1 a.m., it appeared to the driver that Stewart was planning to bail out of the cab without paying his fare. The taxi driver pulled up and quickly stopped outside the police annex office at 13th and College streets and started shouting for help. An officer came outside and saw the cab driver chasing a man.
Unsure what had precipitated the pursuit, the officer joined on foot and radioed for back-up support from other officers, seven of whom responded. The suspect ran inside the apartment building a few short blocks away.
The officers who were positioned outside the building saw the suspect point a gun at them through a window on an exterior-facing door.
Three officers, concerned about the threat to themselves and others in the vicinity, fired their duty weapons. One officer was struck by a projectile in the leg and another officer was injured by flying glass to the eye. Both were treated on scene.
The suspect remained barricaded inside the apartment for about two and half hours, prompting evacuations in the area. SWAT officers were able to make contact shortly after 3:30 a.m. and bring the suspect out to receive medical treatment.
After obtaining a search warrant, detectives searched the apartment and found a handgun behind the front door. The gun is a pellet gun that is a replica of a Smith and Wesson semiautomatic handgun.
The three officers who discharged their firearms have been placed on administrative leave with pay, which is standard procedure for incidents of this nature.
“Officers were confronted with a situation that was quickly evolving, and there was little information available about what had prompted the initial altercation with the taxi cab driver,” Interim Police Chief Greg Testa said this afternoon. “While the investigation is continuing, it appears the officers responded to a perceived deadly threat.”
Charges against the suspect are still being determined. The Boulder County Critical Incident Team is continuing to investigate the officer-involved nature of the shooting and is expected to release a report in the next few weeks.