El Paso County DA rules deadly February officer-involved-shooting justified

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The 4th Judicial District Attorney's office says the actions of three Colorado Springs Police officers are justified after they shot and killed a man at the Grove Apartments in the early morning hours of February 6.

On February 6 at 1:23 a.m., the police received three separate 911 calls. Two were about gunshots fired near The Grove Apartments. The other caller stated a man with a large gun was knocking at her window and telling her to come outside.

Officers arrived within ten minutes and heard the suspect, 44-year-old Evan Woolert, yelling loudly and challenging the officers to knock on his door. According to CSPD, officers had responded to previous calls related to Woolert.

Woolert later left his apartment and continued to shout at officers, who identified their presence and gave commands for him to surrender. Friday, the DA's office says two officers each fired at Woolert once, and the third officer fired his gun three times at him, shooting and killing him.

In the justified ruling issued Friday, the DA says Woolert raised the shotgun and pointed it directly at the officers. It also says they "exercised restraint" by only firing enough times to neutralize the threat that he posed to them.

In multiple interviews with the involved officers, each expressed that there was a possibility of serious bodily injury to them or other people who live at the Grove Apartments if they did not use the force necessary to neutralize the threat.

Sergeant Aaron Lloyd, Officer Steven Nelson, and Officer Stewart Smythe have all been cleared of any wrongdoing.