Maldonado showed up at his ex-girlfriend's apartment, who had a restraining order against him, with a sawed-off 410 shotgun. He got in a confrontation with a man there, and fired off a shot. Police were called, and Maldonado fled in a stolen SUV. He led police on a high speed chase to Denver and back to the apartment in Thornton. There, police cornered him, and when Maldonado raised his gun, three police unloaded on him, firing 21 times and striking him 17. He died on the spot. The Thornton County DA found officers justified. An autopsy found methamphetamine and alcohol in Maldonado's system.
Victim's Name: Wesley Maldonado
Agency Responsible: Thornton Police Department
Gender: Male
Age: 35
Race: Hispanic
Date of Death: January 3, 2014
County: Adams
Cause of Death: Gunshot
Official Disposition: Justified
Criminal Charges: No known charges
Mental Illness: Drug or alcohol use
Armed: Allegedly Armed
Weapon: gun
Geography: Suburban