A review of an investigation into officers who shot at Gregory Miles, the man suspected of killing his girlfriend in an incident at the Arista Flats apartments in Broomfield last year, found that the officers’ use of force was justified, according to a decision letter from the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
The judicial district’s critical incident response team — including Aurora police detectives and investigators independent of the Broomfield Police Department and other agencies involved with the incident — investigated the officer-involved shooting, according to the letter.
Based on the evidence, “there is no reasonable likelihood of success of proving the elements of any crime” against the involved officers, the letter said. Ten officers discharged their firearms during the incident, after which Miles was taken to a hospital and treated for his injuries, according to the letter.
Officers were dispatched to the Arista Flats apartment complex at 11332 Central Court in Broomfield on Sept. 12, 2024, after a 911 call alerted police to a disturbance in a unit, the letter said. Officers attempted to contact the occupants of the unit including Miles, who is now 35, but no one responded, according to the letter.
The letter states officers attempted to get past the the door with physical force, as they became concerned for the safety of a woman they believed was inside, the letter said. Miles threatened he was armed with an “AR15 with one hundred rounds,” the letter said. A short time later, gunshots were fired from the apartment through the front door and through an apartment window and an officer returned fire, according to the letter.
Officers from multiple agencies including the Boulder County Regional SWAT team responded, and officers trained as crisis negotiators engaged in “lengthy negotiations” with Miles to surrender, the letter said. Miles’ mother also arrived on scene and told officers that she was on a video call with her son, that a woman inside the apartment was shot and that Miles expressed to her that he wanted the police to shoot him, the letter said.
Hours of negotiation occurred, and Miles was told to exit onto the apartment’s balcony with his arms raised and not to reenter the apartment, according to the letter.
While Miles was on the balcony, SWAT officers detonated explosives on the front door of the apartment, the letter said. Officers in overwatch positions observed Miles attempting to reenter the apartment, and observation-team officers as well as some from the entry team fired their weapons at Miles, according to the letter.
Miles was taken into custody and was transported to a hospital, where he was treated for multiple gunshot wounds, the letter said.
In the apartment, officers discovered the body of a woman, later identified as Miles’ girlfriend, with an apparent gunshot wound to the head, according to the letter. The woman was later identified as Aisha Quest.
Miles was charged with first-degree murder and 22 counts of attempted first-degree murder for shooting in the direction of police officers and civilians in the area, according to the letter.