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GOLDEN, Colo. (KDVR) — The Colorado School of Mines campus was under a shelter-in-place order as police searched for an armed suspect.

According to the Golden Police Department and Mines Police Department, at 12:15 a.m. Monday, officers attempted to contact a driver in the area. Officers stopped the driver near 19th and Elm Street.

When officers approached the driver, they found the man slumped over his steering wheel and unresponsive.

GPD said that once the driver woke up, he began driving at a slow rate of speed and swerving into oncoming traffic before stopping at 19th Street and Tangent Way. The suspect then slumped over once more.

Officers attempted to wake the man a second time. When the suspect woke up, he began ramming into the patrol cars in an attempt to escape. GPD said officers worked to remove the man from the car but the suspect was able to free himself and run eastbound on 19th Street.

According to GPD, the suspect pointed a handgun at an officer and then ran into a wooded area near campus. The Colorado School of Mines was placed under a shelter-in-place order.

Officers searched for the suspect and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit was deployed to explore the area. The search was concentrated in the area east of U.S. 6 near Elm Street, West Campus Road and 18th Street. The area is near multiple fraternity and sorority houses and the student wellness center.

According to GPD, while tracking the suspect, a K-9 was ordered to apprehend the man. The man allegedly fired shots striking and killing the K-9. A Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputy fired back at the suspect.

The K-9 was identified by JCSO as “Graffit” and he had been with the department since 2015 and was trained in suspect apprehension.

K-9 Graffit (Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office)

“Today we mourn the loss of our K-9, Graffit, who was shot and killed while assisting @GoldenCOPS and @coschoolofmines with a search for an armed suspect in the area of 6th Ave & 19th St. We’ve always known Graffit was brave; today he proved a hero. RIP Good Boy. We will miss you,” said JCSO in a tweet.

A procession was held for K-9 Graffit as he was transported from Golden to Colorado State University in Fort Collins.

At 4:45 a.m., the suspect came out of hiding and surrendered. His gun was located nearby. No other officers or residents were injured.

At 5:54 a.m., Mines Police said the shelter-in-place order was lifted and there was no longer a threat to the community. However, the campus remained closed until noon.

The suspect police were looking for was described as:

  • White or Hispanic man
  • 5 feet, 10 inches tall
  • Wearing dark clothing

GPD was asking employees and students to stay away from campus until further notice calling the situation “serious.”

The incident is being investigated by the School of Mine’s Police Department and the 1st Judicial District Attorney’s Critical Incident Response Team.

This is a developing story, FOX31 has a crew on the way to learn more. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.