Body-worn cameras show officers shoot 36 rounds in 5 seconds, killing suspect

The Denver Police Department held a press conference Wednesday to discuss body-worn camera footage of four officers who shot and killed a 43-year-old man at a 7-Eleven on Federal Boulevard earlier this month.

According to police, the suspect was Christopher Cauch, 43, who had a previous run-in with police earlier that day. Denver Police Department Major Crimes Unit Chief Matt Clark said Lakewood Police confirmed Cauch had carjacked a vehicle in Lakewood earlier in the day and sped into the 7-Eleven parking lot on Federal Boulevard that evening.

That’s when the 911 calls started.

Denver police were dispatched to the scene with multiple reports of either a stabbing or a robbery, or both. When officers arrived on the scene at about 7:50 p.m. on March 1, witnesses and customers were outside and told officers a man was holding an employee hostage with some kind of sharp object.

Detectives recovered a hand tool with a 6-inch metal shaft and pronged end that Cauch had allegedly held tightly to an employee’s throat. Cauch allegedly dragged the employee into an office space, where another employee was already inside doing paperwork, according to DPD.

Cauch allegedly then held both employees hostage, and officers who arrived on the scene began to hear an “escalating disturbance” from within the office. Clark explained that the office’s door was metal, as was the door frame, and took several tries to bust open.

Once the door was open, officers saw Cauch holding the tool to an employee’s neck and threatening to stab the employee. Because of this, all four officers on scene opened fire. Clark said 36 rounds were fired in the space of five seconds, including rounds from a department-approved rifle.

Cauch was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to Denver police.

The employee said they were in pain but nothing more than a minor injury overall. No other injuries were reported.