DENVER (KDVR) — An Arapahoe County Sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a man allegedly armed with a knife and a machete early Sunday morning as they were responding to a shoplifting call at a Walmart, about 15 miles outside Denver.
Deputies responded to the Walmart at 10900 E. Briarwood Avenue at around 7:15 a.m. Sunday for a report of a shoplifting, the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office said in an X post.
The report had said the man involved was armed with a machete.
When the deputies arrived, the man “advanced toward deputies with both a knife and a machete,” the sheriff’s office said.
One deputy deployed a Taser, which was “ineffective.” Then, as the man continued advancing, another deputy shot the person.
A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office told NewsNation local affiliate KDVR that the shooting happened outside the store, and the man was already outside the store when deputies arrived.
The man died at the scene, according to the sheriff’s office.
A Walmart spokesperson said store operations were not impacted, and the store is still open.
“We are working with police as they investigate,” the spokesperson said.
The 18th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team has been activated to investigate the shooting.