A Thornton police officer shot and killed a man after he allegedly opened fire on the officer during a pursuit near the Margaret W. Carpenter Recreation Center early Tuesday morning, marking the fifth officer-involved shooting by Denver metro area cops in the last several weeks.

In a Thornton Police Department news release, police said around 7:55 a.m. an initial officer was observing a car driving erratically near East 112th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard.

When that officer approached the vehicle, the driver fled and ran on foot, police said.

Another officer responded to the foot pursuit, police said.

Upon seeing the responding officer, the man opened fire on the officer — who returned fire and hit the man, police said.

No officers were hit in the crossfire, according to police.

The man, who remains unidentified, was later pronounced dead in the hospital, police said.

The investigation is now in the hands of the 17th Judicial District’s Critical Incidence response team. The officer who shot the man, by protocol, is being placed on administrative leave, according to police.

That officer’s identification was not released.

Video from The Denver Gazette news partner 9News SKY9 shows two vehicles with windows damaged in the parking lot of the recreation center.

The investigation remains ongoing.

This is the fifth shooting by police officers in the Denver metro area in the past few weeks. Four of those shootings have been fatal.

On April 29 at around 11 a.m., Englewood police shot and injured a man who allegedly drove a car at officers, who were investigating a “suspicious incident” between a man and woman near 3325 S. Santa Fe Dr. 

The man, David Sonsalla, 39, didn’t cooperate with officers, instead allegedly driving directly toward them, resulting in officers shooting at him, according to authorities.

Sonsalla then drove on the wrong side of the road and crashed into two vehicles, sending two people to the hospital with minor injuries, according to a news release from the department. 

Officials took Sonsalla to the hospital with a single gunshot wound. He has since been released and taken to the Arapahoe County Detention Facility. The woman involved was also taken to the detention facility for unrelated warrants, according to the release. 

The 18th Judicial Critical Incident Response Team is investigating the shooting.

Sonsalla has a long of criminal history, including domestic violence, theft and protection order violation, according to court records. He is facing an attempted homicide charge, and many others including driving under revocation and eluding police, for the incident in April. He’s scheduled to appear in court June 6 for a preliminary hearing, where prosecutors will present their evidence to a judge who will determine if there’s enough to send the case to trial.

On April 30 just before 3 a.m., Thornton police officers shot and killed two people at 2nd Avenue and Garrison Street in Lakewood following a car chase.

Officers followed the car, which did not have license plates, into Lakewood after deeming it “suspicious,” according to a news release.

One of the occupants allegedly got out and fired a gun at officers, who chased the car to 2nd Avenue and Garrison Street in Lakewood, where two people got out, one of whom had a handgun, according to the release.

Officers fired at them, hitting and killing both people, according to the release.

The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office identified one of the victims as Jasmine Castro, 30, and said at 3 p.m. Tuesday they could not release the second person’s identity yet.

Castro’s criminal history includes several incidents of drug crimes and theft, court records show.

On May 7, Aurora police shot and killed 28-year-old Jose Rodriguez-Balderrama.

Two officers are on administrative leave following the incident, which happened in the 1400 block of Clinton Street, just south of Colfax Avenue and north of Lowry Park.

Officers were dispatched to the scene after reports of gunshots, finding a man with a gunshot wound to the leg, according to a news release.

The suspect, Balderrama, fled the scene then returned a short time later with a handgun, according to the release.

Officers told him to show his hands then shot him multiple times and killed him, according to the release. They did not say whether Balderrama shot at them before they shot him. 

Balderrama had one prior criminal charge for an alcohol-related violation, according to court records.

On May 8, Lakewood police shot and killed Julian Giron, 54, after a “menacing and carjacking” incident, according to a news release.

Police responded to the Walmart at 440 Wadsworth Blvd. just before 10:30 a.m. that day after a report that a man was threatening people with a gun. 

Several minutes later, police responded to the area of West 4th Avenue and Zephyr Street for a report of a carjacking involving the same suspect. 

The suspect, Giron, allegedly left the Walmart then ordered a woman out of her car at gunpoint and fled the scene in the stolen car. 

Officers found the car and tried to stop it, but Giron allegedly refused to stop and officers chased him to the off ramp at 6th and Garrison, where he crashed.

Giron got out of the car and pointed his gun at police, who shot and killed him, according to the release. 

Giron’s criminal record dates back to 1986 and includes charges for sex offense, assault, homicide and kidnapping.

For more on this story, and others, please visit The Denver Gazette’s news partners 9NEWS.com — which contributed to this report.