A police officer with the Lafayette Police Department will not face charges for shooting at a man in a Nov. 8. incident. The man, 20-year-old Ethan Huiras, died by an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after a shootout in the 200 block of west South Boulder Road, according to the Boulder County Coroner’s Office.

The Lafayette police officer, identified as Jared Fender by 20th Judicial District Attorney Michael Dougherty, shot at Huiras nine times but did not strike him. In the exchange of gunfire, Huiras shot Fender in the leg. Huiras then fired twice more, one a fatal self-inflicted shot.

The two fired 12 shots between them.

Dougherty found Fender’s actions legally justified.

“Officer Fender was legally justified in his use of reasonable and appropriate physical force in response to an imminent risk of death or great bodily injury to himself or others,” according to Dougherty’s analysis. “As a result, my office will not be filing criminal charges against Officer Fender.”

The Nov. 8 incident began when two Lafayette Police officers, Fender and Cpl. Cesar Rivas, received a hit from a license plate reader — a type of camera used by law enforcement to detect stolen cars — on a stolen vehicle near South Public Road and east South Boulder Road. The officers were in separate vehicles and went to the area.

After arriving at a Circle K gas station in the 200 block of west South Boulder Road, Fender and Rivas saw an unoccupied gray Toyota Camry. The officers coordinated a plan to box the vehicle in to prevent it from driving away. However, as this happened, Huiras and an underage woman left the Circle K, saw the two police cars and fled on foot.

Huiras initially ran west, towards U.S. highway 287, but then ran around the Circle K building back toward the gray Toyota. Fender pursued him, but got to the Camry after Huiras and attempted to pull him out and away from the car.

“Mr. Huiras resisted officer Fender’s attempts to grab him by the arm and shoulder,” Dougherty’s report says. “During the struggle at the car door, Officer Fender witnessed Mr. Huiras reach toward his own waistband in an aggressive manner.”

Fender backed away and drew his weapon.

“Don’t, don’t you do it! What do you got in your hands? Show me your hands,” Fender said, according to the report.

Huiras exited the vehicle with a handgun and shot at Fender, hitting him in the leg. Huiras fired twice more, including the one determined to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

From the ground, after being shot and hearing two more shots, Fender fired nine rounds into the back of the Toyota. None of the rounds hit Huiras.

“Unaware that Mr. Huiras shot himself, Officer Fender fired nine rounds at the back of the stolen vehicle in an effort to protect himself from further injury or death,” according to Dougherty’s decision.

Rivas approached the side of the Camry and saw Huiras slumped over in the drivers seat. He reported Fender’s condition, took the gun from Huiras’ hand and placed it on the back of the Camry. After that, he rendered medical aid to Fender.

Paramedics who arrived soon after provided further medical aid to Fender and pronounced Huiras dead at the scene.

Editor’s note: Earlier coverage of this story stated Ethan Huiras was fatally shot by a police officer. Newly released information has revealed Huiras fatally shot himself, and shots fired by Officer Jared Fender did not strike Huiras.