Colorado Springs Police Shoot Suspected Walmart Shoplifter To Death

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — A suspected shoplifter at a Walmart store was shot to death by a Colorado Springs police officer after a chase, authorities said.

Police were called to the store Monday night, said El Paso County Sheriff's office spokeswoman Jacqueline Kirby. The suspect was identified and shot after the chase, she said, but it wasn't immediately known if the suspect was armed.

The officer was placed on paid leave. Further details weren't immediately available.

The officer won't be identified until that person's family is notified and a mental health exam is completed, likely within a few days, Colorado Springs police spokesman Lt. Howard Black said.

The sheriff's office is investigating under a 2015 state law that requires police to obtain outside help reviewing police shootings. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Photo credit: Mike Mozart via Flickr/Creative Commons