Pueblo officer, teen suspect injured after carjacking attempt leads to shootout with police

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – The Pueblo Police Department (PPD) says an officer and a teen suspect were both injured after an attempted carjacking led to a shootout overnight.

At around 12:16 a.m. on April 28, Pueblo police say they received reports of a shooting and assault near Northern and Abriendo Avenues involving three suspects in a car. The owner of Appliance King tells KRDO13 he woke up to a call from Pueblo police telling him his window had been shot out amid an assault. He says this is the 11th time his window has been shattered in the past 5 years. As of Monday afternoon, a board covers where there were shards of glass left behind.

An officer responded to the scene and, with help from technicians at their Real-Time Crime Center, identified a vehicle matching their description near 4th Street and Glendale Avenue.

Other officers were dispatched to the location, where they witnessed the 16-year-old male suspect exit the car before carjacking another victim's white Chrysler at gunpoint.

When an officer tried to stop the stolen vehicle, PPD said the suspect opened fire, striking the officer, who sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound.

The suspect then tried to flee the scene, but officers pursued him, resulting in a shootout in the 4600 block of Thatcher Avenue, PPD said.

Officers successfully stopped the vehicle and arrested the suspect, identified as a 16-year-old male. He had been hit in the shooting and suffered a non-life threatening gunshot wound, police said.

Both the officer and the suspect were taken to a local hospital. According to a spokesperson with the Pueblo Police Department, both have since been released.

The suspect's name will not be released as he is a juvenile, PPD said.

PPD said it is still investigating the initial assault and are looking for the other two people involved. The department said it does not have an update on the status of the original assault victim or the carjacking victim, but did confirm that no one was shot in the initial assault.

The 10th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team will now be conducting the investigation into the shooting, PPD said.

If you have any information about this incident, you're asked to contact Pueblo Police at 719-553-2502, or remain anonymous by contacting Crime Stoppers at 719-542-7867.

PPD says they are discussing charges to file against the 16-year-old with the Pueblo District Attorney's Office.

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