AN OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING IN COLORADO SPRINGS HAS BEEN JUSTIFIED. ON JULY 5TH OF THIS YEAR A MAN HOLDING A GUN WAS REPORTED NEAR PIKES PEAK AND TEJON. AFTER SEARCHING THE AREA FOR THE SUSPECT, OFFICERS WITNESSED A VERBAL ALTERCATION BETWEEN TWO GROUPS OF PEOPLE. OFFICIALS SAY THE SUSPECT, ALEX MARTINEZ-SARMIENTO, PULLED OUT A HANDGUN. INITIALLY HE COMPLIED WITH OFFICERS COMMANDS BUT THEN STARTED TO RUN. WHILE RUNNING MARTINEZ-SARMIENTO ALLEGEDLY BEGAN TO REACH INTO HIS WAISTBAND, THATS WHEN AN OFFICER FIRED THREE ROUNDS AND HIT HIM. HE DIED AT THE SCENE. THE DA’S OFFICE SAYS THE SHOOTING WAS JUSTIFIED BECAUSE THE SUSPECT WAS REACHING INTO HIS WAISTBAND FOR A WEAPON AND POSSIBLY COULD HAVE PUT OTHERS IN DANGER.
