Lakewood police will turn to the city’s neighbors for help after a deadly shooting

In the coming days, residents of Lakewood may see police officers from neighboring cities patrolling their streets and responding to calls.

They’re stepping in to help cover shifts while Lakewood police officers grieve the loss of an officer who was killed in a shootout aboard an RTD bus Thursday evening. Three other Lakewood officers — also known as “agents” in Lakewood — were wounded.

The department said in a social media post Friday that its law enforcement partners offered to help take care of the city , giving Lakewood officers and staff time to grieve, support one another and begin to heal.

The shooting near West Colfax Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard also left a civilian injured. The suspected gunman was killed.

What happened Thursday night?

The shooting was the culmination of a search that began hours earlier, several miles away.

Just before 3:45 p.m. Thursday, Lakewood police responded to a reported hit-and-run near Kipling Street and West 13th Avenue. Witnesses told officers the suspect had fled but provided a description, according to a police spokesperson.

Approximately three hours later, a Lakewood officer spotted someone matching that description near West Colfax Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard.

According to RTD, officers found the suspect outside a contracted Route 76 bus. The suspect then boarded the bus, followed by the officers. The bus had four passengers on board at the time of the incident, the transit agency said in a statement released Friday afternoon .

Within seconds, the suspect opened fire on the officers.

The officers returned fire, killing the suspect. Four Lakewood police officers were shot and taken to local hospitals with “serious to critical” injuries.

One of them, Agent Nicholas Allen Graham, died from his injuries. Two of the surviving agents have since been released from the hospital. A third remained hospitalized Friday, though police said all three surviving agents were recovering.

A bystander was also injured. Police had not released details about the extent of that person’s injuries as of Friday’s news conference.

The suspect, recently identified by 9News as Gabriel Steven Garcia, was reportedly released on parole less than two months before the shooting. Garcia had been serving a one-year sentence stemming from an Adams County trespassing case. He was sentenced in April and released on parole on Sept. 23.

A small force facing an enormous loss

The loss of Agent Graham is being felt across a department where his work often involved helping others — both the people who called for help and the officers who worked alongside him — according to Lakewood Chief of Police Phillip Smith.

Graham joined the Lakewood Police Department in January 2019. He started in patrol, later moved into investigations and became a field training agent in 2023, helping newer officers learn the job.

He was the kind of colleague others could count on, Smith said Friday. Graham volunteered to help fellow investigators, coached less experienced officers and earned a spot on the major crimes team by finishing first in its selection process. On that team, he was assigned 322 cases — the highest caseload among its members. Those investigations included homicides, domestic violence and stalking.

“Today we mourn Agent Nicholas Allen Graham, whose life was taken in an act of violence that has left his family, our department, and this community grieving,” Smith said.

According to Smith, Graham’s connection to the department ran beyond his own years of service.

His father recently retired from the police force, and his mother worked in the department’s crime lab.

Now, the department is left to mourn a colleague, support three injured agents and keep serving a city of more than 157,000 people. Lakewood reported 274 sworn officers in 2025, according to FBI workforce data .

The four agents shot Thursday represent roughly 1.5% of that reported workforce — the department has not said how the shooting will affect its staffing or patrol operations in the longer term.

For now, the Lakewood Police Department is relying on help from other agencies as it works through the immediate aftermath.

Lakewood Mayor Wendi Strom said the city’s council, employees and residents stand behind the agents and their families. She also called on the community to come together to mourn and care for one another.

The Colorado State Patrol has also been assisting at the scene and participated in the procession honoring Graham, according to Gov. Jared Polis.

“Law enforcement put their lives on the line for our safety every day and I am heartbroken to learn that a Lakewood Police Agent was killed in the line of duty this evening,” Gov. Polis said in a statement on Thursday. “My heart goes out to their family and friends. My thoughts are also with the three agents who are still receiving care at area hospitals, as well as the civilian who was wounded, and I wish them a full and speedy recovery. Thank you to law enforcement who run into danger to keep us safe and to protect our communities.”

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation is supporting the ongoing investigation.