A Thornton police officer shot at but did not hit a suspect early Saturday morning after a man allegedly opened fire near officers as people were leaving a party, police said in a news release.
Around 12:07 a.m. officer responded to a noise complaint at the Avana Eastlake Apartments, 2801 E. 120th St., in Thornton. As people were leaving the party, an adult male fired several gunshots near the officers, police said.
One officer then returned fire, missing the suspect, police said. Police arrested the suspect after a short chase, and a handgun was recovered at the location, authorities said.
The officer who fired the weapon will be placed on administrative leave, per department protocol, and the incident will be investigated by the 17th Judicial District Critical Incident Investigation Team.
The incident marks the second time this year Thornton police have shot at an individual. Overall, police in Colorado have killed 34 people and injured another 15 this year.
