Man killed Monday by police was reported for smashing bus window

A Denver police shooting during Monday morning’s downtown rush hour that left one man dead started after the man smashed a windshield on an RTD bus.

The man was asked to get off the bus after causing a disturbance in the vicinity of Alameda Avenue and Lincoln Street.

A passenger used an RTD app to report the incident, and transit officers began to search for the man, Joe Montoya, Denver police division chief for investigations, said during a Tuesday afternoon news conference.

The man, who was wearing a long, black coat and a hat, was located by a transit officer who then attempted to speak with him.

The man pulled out a gun, which the transit officer asked him to drop, but he refused. Several other officers approached but decided not to escalate the situation at that time, Montoya said.

The man then started walking down Lincoln Street, and at one point fired a round into the air. The transit officer followed the man down the street, communicating with Denver police about their location.

Denver police arrived and took over the pursuit from the transit officer, he said.

The Denver officer ordered the gunman to drop his weapon.

Instead, the man fired a round into the air and then pointed his gun toward the Denver officer, Montoya said.

The officer fired three shots, killing the gunman. The officer, who has not been named, is an 18-year veteran of the department and has no other armed confrontations on his record, Montoya said.

Investigators are still attempting to locate the man’s family members to inform them of his death, Montoya said. After they are contacted, the Denver medical examiner will release his name.

Though the man’s actions were “erratic,” Montoya said they could not be certain whether or not he was mentally ill. They are unsure whether he was homeless.

Monday’s incident was the 35th officer-involved shooting 2019. in Colorado in