A Colorado Springs police officer was exonerated Monday in the fatal May 18 shooting of a 29-year-old domestic violence suspect.

SWAT officer Christopher Laab “acted reasonably and was justified” in the killing of Sean Michael Collins, ruled the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

Collins reportedly shot at officers while barricaded inside a northwest Colorado Springs apartment.

Officer Jennifer Fleury had gone to the 4200 block of Forrest Hill Road, where a woman told her Collins had threatened to kill her using guns and knives, hit her in the head with a shotgun and tried to take her infant daughter. Fleury tried to contact Collins, but he refused to come out of the apartment.

She called and texted him. So did Officer Lizet Castillo, a crisis negotiator. Collins responded by text, saying he would not leave the apartment, would not surrender and did not want to go back to prison.

SWAT soon arrived with its armored BearCat, and police ordered Collins via loudspeaker to come out peacefully or they couldn’t guarantee his safety.

After police deployed a diversionary device, which makes a loud noise and emits a bright flash, Collins fired out his window twice with a shotgun, then many times from a handgun. At least one shot hit the BearCat driver’s side window, and shrapnel hit Officer Jeremy Campbell’s hand.

In an adjacent apartment, two women who refused to leave with their two young children ignored orders to stay down and instead watched the incident. At least two of Collins’ bullets penetrated their apartment.

SWAT officers fired “chemical munitions” into the apartment. As the chemicals took effect, Collins left the apartment at 9:08 p.m., still shooting.

Laabs fired six times, hitting Collins each time. The El Paso County Coroner’s Office found that Collins was shot twice in the back and four times in the front.

Although Collins dropped to the porch, he continued to move and refused to show his hands. Because he was armed, he was shot with a less-lethal round to see if he would react, but he didn’t. He was pronounced dead at the apartment.

Officers later discovered a .40 Taurus revolver in Collins’ right front pants pocket and a .40 Glock magazine in his left front pants pocket, containing 12 rounds.

About 12 .40 semi-automatic shell casings were found in and outside the apartment, along with two shotgun shells. Inside the front door was a .40 Glock 23. A Remington 12-gauge shotgun was in the front bedroom.

Sean Collins