COLORADO SPRINGS – A Colorado court has exonerated a police officer in the fatal shooting of a 29-year-old domestic violence suspect.
The 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office ruled Monday that SWAT officer Christopher Laabs acted reasonably and was justified in the May 18 killing of Sean Michael Collins.
Authorities said officers responded to a woman’s call that Collins hit her in the head with a shotgun, tried to take her infant daughter and had threatened to kill her.
Police said Collins reportedly shot at officers while barricaded inside a northwest Colorado Springs apartment.
Authorities said SWAT made several attempts to lure Collins safely out of the apartment, but he refused. They said Laabs fatally shot Collins when he was forced out of the apartment with chemicals.
