Agent Nic Graham died after police confronted a hit-and-run suspect aboard an RTD bus near a busy Lakewood intersection.
LAKEWOOD, Colo. — A Lakewood police officer was killed and three other officers were wounded after a suspect opened fire as police approached him aboard a Regional Transportation District bus on Nov. 5, authorities said. The suspect was killed when officers returned fire, and a bystander was also injured.
Lakewood police identified the officer who died as 33-year-old Agent Nic Graham. Police said officers encountered the suspect near West Colfax Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard after an agent recognized him as a person believed to have fled an earlier hit-and-run. The shooting unfolded within minutes of officers locating the suspect and prompted a large emergency response in the Denver suburb.
Police said the earlier hit-and-run happened shortly before 3:45 p.m. near Kipling Street and West 13th Avenue. Witnesses gave officers a description of a person who ran from the scene. Several hours later, at about 6:29 p.m., an officer spotted a person matching that description boarding an RTD bus near Colfax and Wadsworth and called for backup.
According to the Lakewood Police Department, officers confirmed the suspect’s identity and attempted to contact him. Police said the man turned and fired multiple rounds at the approaching officers. A report of shots fired was transmitted at about 6:32 p.m., followed about a minute later by a report that an officer was down. Officers returned fire, and the suspect died at the scene.
Four Lakewood officers were struck by gunfire and taken to hospitals with injuries ranging from serious to fatal. Graham died from his injuries. Police said two of the three surviving officers had been released from the hospital by Friday, while another remained hospitalized and was expected to recover. Authorities did not publicly identify the wounded officers. The condition and identity of the injured bystander were not released.
A witness who was stopped nearby told The Associated Press that several police vehicles surrounded the bus shortly before gunfire erupted. Teddy O’Brien said he saw officers approach the bus and heard shots begin moments later. He described taking cover inside his vehicle as the exchange continued. Authorities have not released a final count of the shots fired.
Graham joined the Lakewood Police Department in 2019. Police Chief Philip Smith said Graham worked in major crimes and had been involved in 322 cases, the largest caseload on the department’s major crimes team. Graham also received a department award in 2023 for gang intelligence work, investigative support and assistance with major investigations. Police said he came from a law enforcement family and is survived by his wife and young child.
The shooting brought officers from neighboring agencies to Lakewood as the department mourned Graham and continued handling the investigation. Other agencies also began assisting with patrol duties and calls for service so Lakewood personnel could support Graham’s family and their wounded colleagues.
The Lakewood Police Department is investigating the suspected crime spree connected to the man, while the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office is conducting the Critical Incident Response Team investigation into the officers’ use of force. Police initially withheld the suspect’s name pending official identification and notification of relatives. The circumstances surrounding the bystander’s injury also remained unclear.