Suspect In Handcuffs Shoots At Denver Police Officer
DENVER (CBS4)- A man in handcuffs shot at a Denver police officer in the parking lot of a Denver Police substation before he was shot by another officer.
The shooting happened about 4:45 p.m. at the Denver Police District 4 Substation at Clay and Evans.
Denver Police Chief Robert White said drug suspect Isaac Vigil was inside the squad car when he fired at an officer. He missed and then another officer shot the suspect. Vigil, 32, is in critical condition.
Vigil was wanted on a nationwide felony warrant for weapons violations.
No officers were injured.
Vigil was in handcuffs when he managed to get control of his gun and take a shot at the officer.
How Vigil got that weapon is being investigated. It's unclear whether the weapon belonged to the suspect or police.
"As it relates to how he produced the weapon and the nature of the search, that is yet to be determined," said White. "The officer who fired at the individual, it appears did the right thing so there's no question about that. The question now is how did the suspect get the gun?"
The patrol car was in the police station's parking lot, and there were a number of police officers inside the building at the time of the shooting.
Vigil was taken into custody for drug charges and a felony warrant in the 300 block of Elliot Street after plain clothes officers and another in uniform approached him at a McDonald's.
Witnesses said police needed a taser to control Vigil.
"I was driving down the road and I just saw two officers grab the guy and dropped him down to the ground and start searching him in his vehicle," said one witness.
White said the investigation is just beginning.
"Obviously once you make an arrest you have a responsibility to search the individual. It is undetermined at this time how the gun got into the hands of the individual. Obviously we'll be able to determine that as part of our investigation," said White.
Copter4 flew over the substation where police crime scene tape cordoned off a portion of the parking lot where the patrol car was located and an entrance to the building. An ambulance was also parked in the parking lot. It's unclear whether Vigil was inside that ambulance.
