A man identified as Benjamin Annaboli, 37, died at a hospital in Colorado Springs following an officer-involved shooting. The incident occurred on August 17, 2023, at a hotel parking lot on 1700 Aeroplaza Drive. U.S. Marshals and parole officers, who had identified Annaboli as a “violent offender with several outstanding arrest warrants for felony criminal offenses,” requested assistance from the Colorado Springs Police Department’s Tactical Enforcement Unit.
Upon attempting to arrest Annaboli, he fled on foot towards the hotel while holding a handgun in each hand. Despite multiple commands to drop the weapons, Annaboli refused and pointed one of the guns at an officer. A canine officer was deployed to apprehend him, but Annaboli continued to resist and attempted to fight off the dog while it bit him. Subsequently, two officers fired their weapons, causing Annaboli to fall to the ground.
Body-worn camera footage released with the briefing video showed an officer shooting at Annaboli multiple times with a rifle. Drone footage captured the canine officer shooting Annaboli with his handgun as Annaboli approached the hotel’s front door. The officers involved in the shooting were identified as Brian Kelly, a canine handler with 22 years of experience in the CSPD, and Matthew Waters, an officer with 11 years of experience in the specialized enforcement division.
Following the shooting, officers discovered one handgun on the ground next to Annaboli and another still in his hand. Attempts were made to provide first aid and apply tourniquets to his injuries. Annaboli was then transported to a hospital, where he later died. The exact time of his death was not specified in the briefing video, but a CSPD spokesperson confirmed that Annaboli died on the same day as the incident.
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating the shooting and will submit the results of their investigation to the Fourth Judicial District’s District Attorney’s Office.
