Aurora Police Chief: Officer Who Shot Suspect Likely 'Saved A Lot Of Lives'
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) - Aurora police say an investigation into a fatal officer-involved shooting of a stabbing suspect on Saturday is still ongoing and fluid.
Police say a woman was stabbed to death outside of an Aurora home shortly before 8 p.m. When police arrived an officer shot the suspect, who also died.
Witnesses said the stabbing of a mother and daughter by her boyfriend started at a home on Kenton Street near East 7th Avenue and continued out into the street down the block.
Aurora Police Chief Nick Metz at a news conference said a 911 call is "chilling."
"The tape is the mother calling in saying that she and her daughter are being attacked," Metz said.
Warning: The below YouTube player with the 911 call may not be suitable for everyone:
Metz said within 3 minutes the first officer arrived and found a man and a woman in the street engaged in an altercation.
"Neighbors said they could hear the officer saying, 'Drop that knife, drop that knife,'" Metz said. "And then they heard two gun shots."
Kay Sigler, an area resident, heard screams and looked out to see the suspect attacking one of the women at the edge of her front yard.
"Hitting her and beating her and doing horrible things," said Sigler.
"One of the police says, 'Drop your weapon, drop your weapon,' and he did not," said Sigler. "And they ran up there and they shot him … everything happened so quickly. I mean, those police officers had to make a quick decision."
According to Metz, other officers arrived and began giving aid to both the female victim and the male suspect.
"I think what's really important to note here is that my officer, the initial one who encountered the attack that was occurring, probably saved a lot of lives that night," Metz said.
He pointed out that the woman's mother, who had already been stabbed, was coming to the aid of her daughter and was likely to be stabbed again. He also said neighbors told officers they were getting ready to go out and confront the suspect because police hadn't arrived yet and could have been put in harm's way.
Metz wouldn't identify the officer who shot the suspect but said he's a 12-year veteran of the department who was involved in one prior officer-involved shooting. Department protocol requires that he be placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
According to police, the suspect had been the victim's boyfriend for several weeks and officers have responded to trouble at the home before. Their names haven't been released by police, but CBS4 has confirmed a GoFundMe page set up for Mireya Ramirez, 28, is for the woman who died.
Police say they are still working to identify the suspect.
"The identification of the suspect has not been determined. The Arapahoe County Coroner's Office will release the name of the deceased once he has been positively identified, and the next of kin has been notified," police said in a statement.
Ramirez's mother, who CBS4 has contacted and identified as June Simpson, is expected to recover.
