Two police officers were shot during a pursuit of suspects involved in the armed robberies of several convenience stores in Aurora, Colorado Monday, July 27. One of the suspects who was shot is reported to be in critical condition.

The Aurora Police Department said two crime task force members were injured during the exchange of gunfire on Monday evening at the Denver’s Green Valley Ranch area. An officer was struck in the arm and the other in the hand. They were rushed to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

"Luckily, our officers are doing OK. We expect them to make full recoveries," Aurora Police Department public information officer Matthew Longshore told CBS Local.

Ron Thomas, the Denver Division Chief of Patrol, said the SWAT team was following multiple suspects when they noticed a suspect getting out of the vehicle and running to a parking lot. The suspect then "used a weapon to force-ably take a vehicle from two people and we intervened, and that’s when shots were fired," Thomas said in a news briefing.

He said there is no clarity as to who fired first.

The suspect suffered multiple gunshot wounds. He was rushed to the Denver Health Medical Center.

"I can tell you shooting into a vehicle is against our policy in most cases. There are certainly some exceptions, (for instance) when someone’s in grave danger," said Thomas.

The officers are "in stable condition and in good spirits," Aurora’s Interim Chief Vanessa Wilson tweeted.

police tape
Representational image of a police tape. Manuel Handboy was arrested after he struck three women with his vehicle in Colorado. REUTERS/Jonathan Bachman
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