Lakewood Officer Killed, Three Wounded in Colorado Bus Shootout

A Lakewood officer was killed and three other officers were wounded on Thursday (Nov 5) when a suspect opened fire as police approached him near a bus in Lakewood, Colorado, about 5 miles west of downtown Denver, ABC News reported.

Officers were called to the area of Colfax Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard at about 6.30pm local time over a report of a suspicious person, Lakewood police spokesman John Romero said. He said the person may have been involved in a hit-and-run earlier that day.

Suspect opened fire within seconds

Officers encountered the man as he was trying to board a Regional Transportation District (RTD) bus, according to ABC News. “Within seconds of agents approaching the suspect, the suspect opened fire on our agents,” Romero said, adding that a gunfight followed.

All four officers were taken to area hospitals, where one of them died. The suspect was killed in the exchange of fire. A civilian was also injured, though the circumstances were unclear, ABC News said. The identity of the suspect has not been released.

The RTD said in a statement that the shooting took place on an RTD-contracted bus serving Route 76 in Lakewood, and that its thoughts were with those affected.

Lakewood officer killed identified as Nicholas Graham

The City of Lakewood later identified the officer who died as Agent Nicholas Graham, 33, Fox News reported. He served on the department’s major crimes team and reportedly joined the Lakewood Police Department in early 2019, where he worked alongside members of his family.

Police Chief Philip Smith said Graham handled “some of our community’s most serious crimes, including homicide, domestic violence, and stalking”, according to Fox News. In 2023, he received the Special Investigations Unit Wingman Award for his work on gang intelligence, investigative support and major SWAT cases.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis said in a social media statement that he was heartbroken that a Lakewood police agent had been killed in the line of duty. The conditions of the three wounded officers were not disclosed.

Investigation and community support

The Jefferson County Critical Incident Response Team will investigate the officer-involved shooting, ABC News said, with support from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, according to Fox News.

Lakewood police said on social media that patrol vehicles and uniformed officers from neighbouring agencies would be seen across the city over the following days, as those agencies cover calls to allow staff time to grieve.

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