AURORA | A man charged with reckless endangerment after he fired a gun at a fleeing Aurora robbery suspect Saturday said he fired because he believed the robber was reaching for a weapon.
Avery Marquis Nelson, 26, said that the suspect — who police say robbed a nearby Subway restaurant — got into his car and reached under his seat. Believing the man was reaching for a weapon, Nelson — who works as an armed security guard and was in uniform — fired multiple shots at the vehicle.
“With my life and the lives of the community in danger, I felt it was necessary to stop this person,” he said Monday.
Police said the suspect drove away. The vehicle was later found, but the suspect remains at large.
Police said Nelson first sprayed the fleeing with pepper spray before drawing his weapon. Police said Nelson then fired his gun into the air, but the robber kept going to his car and got in it.
Nelson said that when his non-lethal attempts didn’t stop the man, and when he believed the man was reaching for a weapon, he needed to fire at the vehicle.
Nelson said he didn’t want to discuss the case in detail because there are still charges pending against him, but said he is confident he did the right thing.
“It’s my job to the public to not let this happen again,” he said.
Police said Nelson broke the law.
“Because Nelson’s actions created a substantial risk of serious bodily injury to the public he was issued and released with a summons for reckless endangerment and discharging a weapon,” Aurora police spokesman Sgt. Chris Amsler said in a statement.
Police are asking anyone with information on the robber to call Aurora police or Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867. Tipsters can remain anonymous and could be eligible for a $2,000 reward.
actually it isn’t his “job” (unless he was actually ‘on’ the job?) and he went after a FLEEING suspect not one in the process of robbing or injuring a member of the public. Nope, he let his hero complex get the better of him….(he’s 26) and made multiple errors: spraying a fleeing suspect, shooting in the air shooting at a fleeing car multiple times. Sorry, he get’s fined and possibly loses his right to carry…..he is NOT a good guy with a gun!
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Hopefully Mr Nelson is charged, found guilty as charged and gets some time to think about it!
I agree with Fed up. Nelson is NOT a good guy with a gun. He is a good example of someone doing something very stupid.