LONGMONT, Colorado — A man is in critical condition after being shot three times by a Longmont police officer after the man opened fire with a rifle, authorities said.
Police said the shooting early Wednesday occurred after a Longmont police officer tried to stop a vehicle being driven without headlights. The 28-year-old man came out shooting and the officer returned fire, police said.
"Immediately after stopping, the suspect exited his vehicle, advanced on the officer and began firing multiple rounds at the officer with an AR-15 style rifle," police spokesman Jeffrey Satur said in a statement.
The officer returned fire and was not injured.
The unidentified officer is a four-year-veteran of the department. He has been placed on leave while the shooting is investigated by a county-wide team that investigates cases involving the use of deadly force.
The team includes detectives from Boulder County Sheriff's Office and police from Boulder, Longmont, Lafayette, Louisville and the Colorado State Patrol, along with advisers from the district attorney's office.
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