A 16-year-old suspect was shot and arrested in the early morning hours of April 28 after Pueblo police say he shot a police officer following an alleged assault and carjacking.
The police officer and suspect both sustained non-life-threatening injuries, according to a Pueblo Police Department news release.
Pueblo police received a report at 12:16 a.m. about a shooting and assault near Northern and Abriendo avenues, according to the release.
Police responded to the scene and, with the help of Pueblo PD’s Real-Time Crime Center, identified a vehicle they say matched the description of one involved in a second incident — a carjacking near the intersection of Fourth Street and Glendale Avenue. Police stated in the release that a passenger had exited the vehicle involved in the Northern Avenue incident and carjacked a second vehicle at gunpoint.
Police say that an officer located and attempted to stop the stolen vehicle, at which point the suspect allegedly shot the officer, who sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound, according to the release. Officers then pursued the suspect as he fled the scene.
The suspect allegedly continued to exchange gunfire with officers in the 4600 block of Thatcher Avenue before officers stopped the vehicle using “tactical vehicle intervention,” otherwise known as a Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT) maneuver, according to the release.
The suspect, whom police identified as a 16-year-old boy, sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. He was taken into custody and transported to a local hospital.
Pueblo PD spokesperson Bianca Hicks stated that the victim in the Northern Avenue incident was assaulted physically but was not shot. Police are searching for the other vehicle used in the carjacking, but are not publicly releasing the vehicle description at this time, Hicks said.
The 10th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team, led by the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office, was activated and will conduct the investigation.
Anyone with information on the April 28 incident is asked by Pueblo PD to contact the department at 719-553-2502. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 719-542-7867 (STOP) or pueblocrimestoppers.com.
All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in court. Arrests and charges are merely accusations by law enforcement until, and unless, a suspect is convicted of a crime.
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This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: 16-year-old arrested for allegedly shooting Pueblo PD officer