Man shot and injured in Lakewood officer-involved shooting
Editor’s note: The Lakewood Police Department identified the suspect as 49-year-old Jason Wayne Ray. He remains hospitalized at this time and will be booked following his release.
Lakewood, Denver and Golden police officers fired at, and injured, a wanted man after he allegedly fled police Tuesday.
Officers with the Lakewood Police Department attempted to pull over a man who was suspected of eluding police “several” times and had “multiple” felony warrants around 12 p.m. Tuesday, according to a news release from the department. As police attempted to stop the man’s vehicle, he fled again, almost hitting officers in the process.
Officers noticed that the suspect had a firearm on his lap in the vehicle, department spokesperson John Romero said in a news conference Tuesday evening.
Around 4 p.m., the Colorado Metropolitan Auto Theft Task Force — a state force made up of multiple law enforcement agencies — identified the suspect outside of his car at an apartment complex near West Colfax Avenue and Pierce Street, directly across Colfax from Casa Bonita, according to police.
When police arrived, the man ran away with a gun in his hand, police said. It’s still unknown if he lived at the apartment complex.
“It’s unknown exactly what happened between that time, but the suspect was fired at,” Romero said.
Detectives from the Denver Police Department and the Golden Police Department fired at the suspect, striking him. The suspect was arrested and taken to a local hospital where he is expected to make a full recovery, though the extent of his injuries were not released by police.
No officers were injured in the shooting.
The shooting marks the second in the area over the last month.
The first shooting happened around 8 p.m. on Jan. 12 in the 1400 block of Kendall Street.
Police were called to the area and, upon arrival, found a woman suffering from a gunshot wound. She was taken to a nearby hospital where she later died from her injuries.
The victim was later identified as 26-year-old Nairelis “Junior” Castel, police said.
Two suspects, 25-year-old Flor Contreras and 27-year-old Menelson Leonel Ramirez, were arrested in connection to the shooting the week after.