Suspect shot dead by DPD tried to take officer’s vehicle, gun before shooting

DENVER — The man shot dead by Denver Police officers Wednesday had several outstanding warrants and was on supervised probation for being a sex offender.

The Denver Office of the Medical Examiner identified Michael Ferguson, 20, as the suspect killed Wednesday after he tried to get into a stolen vehicle, then an officer’s vehicle. At some point soon after, he struggled for one of the officer’s weapons and police opened fire.

Ferguson died when police shot him in the 2600 block of West Bates around noon Wednesday.

Three DPD officers involved in the struggle were also injured but were not shot.

Ferguson had active warrants stemming from a car theft case from May 2015 and a careless driving charge from June of this year. He failed to appear in court Monday on the latest case and was also wanted for violating his probation in the theft case.

During the theft case, a judge ordered him to be put on Sex Offender Intensive Supervision Probation, though it is still unclear exactly why.

He served time in the Colorado Division of Youth Corrections system from an unknown charge that happened when he was 14.