Aurora, Colorado – Two Aurora police officers have been placed on administrative leave following a chaotic series of events that culminated in a police shooting of a man suspected of shooting another individual on Saturday night.
The deceased shooting suspect, identified as Jose Rodriguez-Balderrama, 28, was engaged in gunfire at an apartment complex in northwest Aurora. Police responded to multiple calls reporting the incident, prompting a brief car chase involving a red Mustang believed to be driven by the suspect.
Interim Aurora Police Chief Heather Morris described the situation as “dramatic and volatile” during a press conference on Saturday night. The victim of the initial shooting, a 29-year-old man, recounted to investigators that Rodriguez-Balderrama had fired multiple shots at him, resulting in a gunshot wound to his leg. Fortunately, a second resident who was also present at the scene escaped uninjured.
As officers were speaking with the shooting victim, neighbors alerted them to the suspect’s return to the area. Subsequently, Rodriguez-Balderrama was spotted near the victim’s apartment, armed with a handgun. After commands to show his hands were ignored, officers resorted to firing their handguns, striking the suspect multiple times.
An investigation is ongoing into the motive behind the shooting and the events leading up to the fatal confrontation. Multiple agencies, including the Critical Incident Response Team and the Aurora Police internal affairs unit, are involved in determining the sequence of events. Despite resuscitation efforts at the scene and transportation to a nearby hospital, Rodriguez-Balderrama was pronounced dead.
In accordance with Aurora Police policy, the two officers involved in the shooting, identified as M. Crewse and M. Laurita, have been placed on administrative leave. Both officers, with three and four years of experience, respectively, will await the outcome of the investigation into the incident.