“I didn’t want to let him win”. Powerful words from Lakewood Police Officer Ashley Ferris on her takedown of a mass shooting suspect. Thanks to her incredible bravery, countless lives were saved. After 5 months of recovery, she is about ready to get back to work.
By taking down the suspect, Officer Ferris ended a multi-city killing rampage.
“I don’t feel like a hero,… I feel like I did my job.”
Officer Ashley Ferris
It all went down on December 27, 2021 when a gunman killed two women and injured a man in Denver, Colorado. This began a rampage that made it’s way into Lakewood where Police cornered the shooter at a mall. Officer Ferris was holding down a corner of the blockade when she was approached by what she thought was another Officer.
The man, wearing a Police vest and reloading a handgun, boldly approached the perimeter. This caught Ferris off-guard but she knew something was off. She challenged the man, who then shot her in the stomach. As she went down, Ferris returned fire on the fleeing gunman. Her shots made their mark, but the bullet in her body had done severe damage.
“The scariest part for me was when the other officer carried me into St. Anthony’s Hospital — he had me over his shoulder — and he was yelling ‘Officer down! Officer down!… Thinking about that even right now still gives me goosebumps. It’s hard for me to believe that I was the officer down.”
Officer Ashley Ferris
While Officer Ferris had severe nerve damage from the wound, she never once questioned returning to duty. Since the incident, she has been working a desk for the Lakewood Police department but is expected to return to patrol duty on Monday next week.
This is an incredible story of a good woman with a gun stopping a bad guy with a gun, and of a heroic Police Officer doing what they do best: putting their lives on the line for the safety of their community.
Officer Ferris has been overwhelmingly supported by her family, department, and local community. We would like to extend that support by thanking her for her incredible service. We hope that you will join us in this support by leaving a comment expressing your appreciation.
