A road rage incident in Denver Friday led to a hostage situation and ended with police shooting a suspect later that night, according to authorities.
Denver Police Department officials said they received a report of a road rage shooting near Colfax Avenue and Interstate 25 about 5:30 p.m. Friday. The victim told police they were shot by another motorist and followed the suspect as they were talking to dispatch.
The victim and the suspect arrived at the 4700 block of Josephine Street. The victim said he was shot other times along the way. Officers arrived on the scene to find the suspect's vehicle abandoned.
After several hours of searching, officers noticed that individuals were leaving a nearby home and back to the vehicle at 11 p.m., officials said. That led to a chase between officers and the suspects.
"The vehicle became mobile, officers began to pursue that vehicle and attempt to stop the vehicle. Officers then reported that shots were coming from that vehicle towards them," said Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas in a press conference. "They continued their pursuit, attempted a couple of four-stop methods, and ultimately were successful in getting the vehicle to crash in the 3500 block of York."
Officers surrounded the vehicle and asked for the individuals to surrender. A man emerged from the flipped vehicle holding a female hostage. Thomas says officers believed the man was holding a gun and threatening to kill the woman as they tried to negotiate the release of the hostage.
"At one point, a single officer fired a single shot striking the suspect. Both the suspect and the female did go down, but the male party did not release control of the female," Thomas said. "So negotiations continued to try to get them to surrender. Ultimately, they were able to secure both individuals safely and get them to safety."
The suspect was transported to the hospital in stable condition. The female hostage suffered cuts to her leg. No officers were injured.
The identities of the suspect and hostage were not released. Four people are in custody as the investigation continues.
