Crime & Safety
Man IDed In Fatal Lakewood Police Shootout
Joe Richard Shorty, 39, of Denver allegedly shot at Lakewood officer and was killed in return gunfire, the police department said.
LAKEWOOD, CO – Lakewood officials on Monday identified the man killed in a shootout Wednesday with Lakewood police officers.
Joe Richard Shorty, 39, of Denver, was identified as the man killed 13th Avenue and Sheridan Blvd.
At around 7:20 p.m. on Nov. 28, a Lakewood officer observed Shorty near Mountair Park in northeast Lakewood firing a gun. The officer, who was joined by other agents, followed Shorty, who began walking away. Officers "gave continuous orders for Shorty to stop and drop the gun," police said in a statement. He didn’t comply with orders and fired the gun at least one more time, police said.
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Shorty stopped near 13th and Sheridan and fired his gun again. Police returned gunfire. Shorty was declared deceased on scene and no police agents were injured, the pres release from Lakewood PD said.
The Jefferson County Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) will continue the investigation.
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Police did not name the officers who fired at Shorty.
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