Investigation of latest officer-involved shooting continues

Authorities have identified a man shot to death by Colorado Springs police after a confrontation on June 22.

Josiah Williams, 25, is the victim in the shooting that occurred just before 7:30 a.m. near the intersection of Hancock Expressway and Delta Drive.

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident and provides the following details:

Police responded after a 911 call indicated Williams was walking in the area with a gun in one hand and an alcoholic beverage in the other.

When officers approached Williams, he pointed the gun at them and ignored orders to drop it. An officer then shot Williams, who later died at Memorial Hospital.

Video evidence shows that Williams fired at the officer before being shot. No details are available about whether any officer was injured.

The District Attorney’s Office will determine if the officer was justified in his use of deadly force against Williams.

It’s the third officer-involved shooting in eight months for Colorado Springs.

Last November, two officers shot Dana Ott, 63, on Lanagan Street in west Colorado Springs. At the time, officers were responding to a domestic disturbance call. Neighbors reported that Ott was walking down the street drunk and carrying a rifle. He was shot after pointing what later was found to be a scope-mounted air rifle at the officers. Ott died two months after the shooting. The District Attorney’s Office determined the shooting was justified.

Last Halloween, Noah Harpham, 33, died in a shootout with police at the intersection of Platte and Wahsatch avenues, just east of downtown. Harpham killed three people in the area and tried to burn down his home. The District Attorney’s Office determined this week that the shooting was justified and described the officers’ actions as “heroic.”