Earlier today, Boulder County District Attorney Stan Garnett announced that ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä and Boulder police officers were justified to use lethal force against an armed suspect in the Folsom Field Champions Center on Oct. 5, 2016. The District Attorney’s Office investigative letter on this matter can be read here.
¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder Police Chief Melissa Zak issued the following statement:
I want to thank the Boulder County Investigation Team and Mr. Garnett for their work investigating this incident. When an officer fires his or her weapon, it is a difficult decision made very quickly in the best interest of protecting public safety.
As police officers, we are asked to protect lives, so whenever a life is lost in the course of our work, it weighs heavily on our hearts. With that said, I am confident that these two officers made the right call in not only acting swiftly to defend their own lives but also the lives of innocent people in the building or nearby.
While your police department constantly trains for these types of rare incidents, we can always do more. We are engaged with several campus departments reviewing all aspects of response and communications associated with the events of Oct. 5. We want to be as prepared as possible for any threat to campus safety. I would encourage you to do the same by where you can learn tips and watch videos on how you should respond to an active harmer incident. As always, we are proud to be your university police department.
