Aurora Officer Recovering After Fatal Shooting During Knife Attack, Police Say

Overview

• Police say the veteran K9 handler who was stabbed in the head is awake in the hospital after surgery and in good spirits.
• Officers responded to a reported mental health crisis at an Aurora apartment near Cherry Creek, where a 23-year-old man threatened to harm himself and others.
• Police used a taser and a 40mm foam launcher, but the man rushed out with a large butcher knife and stabbed the handler, so the officer shot and killed him.
• The police dog was also stabbed, received stitches, and was released from a veterinary clinic with an expected full recovery.
• The 18th Judicial Critical Incident Response Team is leading the criminal investigation, with a separate Aurora Police administrative review underway.