Bodycam: Colorado Springs Police Stop Gunman Breaking into Vehicles, Threatening Bystanders in Parking Lot

By Natasha Lynn and Michael Braithwaite

Source The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.)

Colorado Springs police confirmed the death of one person in an officer-involved shooting downtown in the parking lot across from the post office Monday afternoon.

More than a dozen police department vehicles were seen around Nevada and Pikes Peak avenues around 3 p.m., including an ambulance and firetruck in the parking lot to the north of the post office.

Colorado Springs police report being notified of a situation in the parking lot at 2:21 p.m. Monday. Dispatch received a call about an adult male breaking into vehicles and threatening community members with a firearm, said Caitlin Ford, CSPD public communications specialist, at a news conference Monday.

“There were only two officers here at first, and they were kind of like hiding behind a car,” said Jerod Godfrey, who says he was in the area when police arrived. “My buddy was next to them and he was like, ‘Hey Jerod, you can’t come to the car, there’s a guy with a gun.’”

Officers tried to approach the suspect, who was in a vehicle, and take him into custody, Ford said. The man then left the vehicle with a gun and an officer fired at least one shot, hitting him.

Officers administered emergency medical aid until medical personnel arrived on scene, at which point the man was declared dead, Ford said. Nobody else was injured in the incident and police recovered a firearm on-scene.

Godfrey added that he heard shouting and multiple gunshots while the situation was unfolding.

“I just hid behind that car because I was like, ‘I’m not risking my bloodline. No stray bullets can get me,” Godfrey said.

Police said streets in the area were expected to be closed for the next several hours, possibly up to eight hours, while the investigation continues.

In accordance with state law, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office will be investigating the officer-involved shooting.

After the investigation into the officers’ use of force is completed, it will be sent to the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office to determine if the officer’s use of force was in compliance with Colorado law.

State law and city policy also compels the department to release pertinent officer body camera footage from the incident, within 21 days.

The incident was the third officer-involved shooting involving Colorado Springs police in 2025.

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