By Mike McPhee, Staff Writer
Denver Post Staff
Colorado Springs, Colo.- A Colorado Springs police officer was shot and killed late Monday night during a traffic stop of a suspected drunk driver.
Police said three officers stopped a driver around 11 p.m. in the 4400 block of Fountain Boulevard in the city’s southeast section, about a mile from the airport.
As the officers approached the car, the driver pulled a gun and started firing. One officer, whose name has not been released, was hit. The officers returned fire, striking the driver.
Both the officer and the driver were transported to Memorial Hospital. The officer was pronounced dead at 12:18 a.m., this morning.
The driver, whose name has not been released, was listed in critical condition but is expected to live, police said.
The two other officers have been placed on administrative leave for the investigation, which is routine procedure for the department.
The incident was the second time this year that a Colorado Springs police officer had been killed in the line of duty.
In February, Officer Jared Jensen was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a man suspected of stabbing his sister.
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