prevent similar escalations. Backstory: On June 2, 2026, members of the Colorado Metropolitan Auto Theft Task Force tracked a reported stolen truck from eastern Adams County to a Sinclair gas station in Denver. The vehicle owner had reported the theft and provided GPS tracking data and in-cab camera footage that appeared to show the driver holding a handgun. When officers located the truck, the suspect, later identified as 35-year-old Joshua Jackson, entered the gas station convenience store rather than complying with commands from law enforcement. Officers established positions outside the business and repeatedly ordered Jackson to drop what they believed was a firearm. When Jackson appeared to raise the object toward them, officers fired multiple rounds through the store’s glass windows. Jackson was struck and transported to a local hospital, where he was listed in stable condition. Two store employees were inside during the incident but were not injured. Investigators later determined that the object Jackson was holding was not a functional firearm, but a lighter designed to resemble a handgun