Two Aurora police officers have been placed on administrative leave after a fatal shooting that occurred on Wednesday morning.

The officers — C. Parrell and K. Carbajal-Vazquez — will be  investigated by the 18th Judicial Critical Incident Response Team, according to an update by the Aurora Police Department. Officers being placed on administrative leave after an officer-involved shooting is standard procedure.

Both officers were watching a bus stop for criminal activity near the intersection of East Colfax Avenue and Havana Street around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday. The officers noticed an altercation between two men. One of the men allegedly pulled a firearm and pointed it at the other man, according to the department’s press release. 

The unarmed man was allegedly trying to steal the backpack from the man who pulled the gun, according to the release.

The officers began to respond and engage the armed man. The man allegedly began to run away. Police yelled to stay down and drop his weapon, Aurora Police Chief Art Acevedo said in a news conference.

Parella opened fire and struck the man, according to the release. The officers performed “life-saving actions” until the Aurora Fire Rescue arrived. The man was rushed to the hospital and later died from his injuries. 

The other man involved in the initial dispute — Dominique Harris, 32 — was located nearby and taken into custody. He was issued a “summons for misdemeanor theft for attempting to steal the armed man’s backpack,” the department said.

Parella is the officer who fired his weapon. He is a four-year veteran of the police department. Carbajal-Vazquez is also being investigated due to being a witness of the response. 

Along with the officer investigations, Aurora police’s Major Crime Homicide Unit is investigating the dispute between the two men. An Internal Affairs Bureau investigation is also underway, the department said.

The deceased will be identified by the Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office after notifications of next of kin.

The Denver Gazette requested the release of the officers’ bodycam footage of the shooting, but did not receive a response by press time.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.