Monitor to probe shootings into moving cars by Denver police

An independent city official who monitors the Denver Police Department says he will investigate its policies and practices related to shooting at moving vehicles after a 17-year-old girl was shot and killed.

Nicholas Mitchell said Tuesday that such shootings pose unique safety risks.

The Monday shooting of Jessica Hernandez was the fourth time in seven months that a Denver officer fired at a vehicle after perceiving it as a threat.

Police say two officers fired after Hernandez drove a stolen car into one of them.

The U.S. Supreme Court has held that officers may not use deadly force to stop a fleeing suspect unless the person is believed to pose significant physical harm.

A passenger in the car has disputed the official account of Hernandez’s death, saying police opened fire before the vehicle struck the officer.