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Off-Duty Officer Fires Gun While Intervening In Road Rage Incident

GOLDEN, Colo. (CBS4) - A stretch of eastbound U.S. 6 in Golden had to be closed Sunday afternoon for the investigation of a road rage incident that led to an off-duty officer firing his gun.

The off-duty officer called 911 to report a road rage incident at approximately 2 p.m. occurring between a motorcyclist and the driver of a white Nissan sedan.

"The off-duty officer asked the 911 center if he should attempt to make a traffic stop for our agency," police spokesperson Karlyn Tilley said in a statement. "The dispatcher asked if the officer was in a marked unit, but before the question could be answered the phone was dropped and a female got on the line asking for police officers."

Golden Road Rage
(credit: CBS)

Tilley said the woman then told the dispatcher "that her husband had 'just shot him.'"

Golden police officers quickly arrived where the incident occurred at 19th Street and 6th Avenue.

"Early information obtained indicates that the off-duty officer approached the individual driving the motorcycle on foot and identified himself with his badge," Tilley said.

The motorcyclist did not believe he was dealing with a real officer.

"The off-duty officer was armed with a handgun. A short struggle ensued and a single shot was fired into the front end of the motorcycle. The individual on the motorcycle was not hit, but did have minor injuries to his hand from flying debris."

Golden Road Rage
(credit: CBS)

"A bullet, reportedly fired by the off-duty police officer, cracked the cover of a motorcycle's gas tank," Cpt. Joe Harvey with Golden Police told CBS4's Howard Nathan.

Golden police are trying to verify whether a hand gesture played a role.

"There might have been some hand gesturing by the person on the motorcycle indicating that he had a gun, he was kind of using two fingers, and so that might've been one of the issues that had the officer concerned," said Harvey.

The motorcyclist is Jeremy Golden, 31, of Denver. The officer is from 47-year-old Patric Stanton of the Central City Police Department. Both are named subjects of the investigation.

Golden police are calling the incident an ongoing criminal investigation.

Eastbound lanes of U.S. 6 had to be closed between the Colorado State Highway 58 and 119 junction and 19th Street in Golden for the investigation. One westbound lane was closed at 19th Street as well.

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