Colorado cop is seen ramming patrol car into man on stolen motorcycle before shooting him dead 

A shocking new video shows the moment a Colorado police officer rammed his SUV into a man who was riding on a stolen motorcycle - after the public were told that the man crashed himself. 

The officer then opened fire on the man, later named as 41-year-old Stephen Poolson, killing him. The incident occurred on February 2. 

Shortly after the shooting, a press release from the Littleton Police Department made no reference to the ramming. The statement said that Poolson, who was on probation, had crashed the motorcycle and 'produced a gun.' 

Police were called to the area after receiving a report about a suspicious vehicle in the area. Video shows that the shooting took place at 1:05 am. It was first reported on by 9 News in Denver.

The clip shows Poolson being knocked from the motorcycle by a police cruiser and then running from the officer. The suspect runs out of frame and the fatal gunfire cannot be seen. Poolson died later at a local hospital. 

According to Stephen Poolson's mother, the suspect was shot five times in the back 

A GoFundMe page that has been set up to help Poolson's family to help them to pay for his funeral alleges that he was shot five times in the back.  

A longer version of the video shows a brief interaction between the deceased man and the police officer prior to the ramming.  

In a statement on the discrepancy between the video and the original press release, a Littleton police spokesperson said, 'The Littleton Police Department (LPD) was contacted this morning regarding a video containing footage that contradicted an earlier release put out by the LPD on the morning of February 2, 2023.

'This is why LPD has policies and procedures in place that involve investigations, it is always our goal to find the most accurate information possible, and sometimes that information takes time,' the release continued.

It went on, 'Based on this video it has come to light that the motorcycle did not in fact crash, but yes, in fact, was contacted by a patrol vehicle.' 

The original press release was issued a little over two hours after the shooting. It was later updated to include Poolson's name. 

Online records show that Poolson has a lengthy criminal history. In 2006, he was sentenced to three years in prison in Boulder County on menacing charges. In 2013, spent six months in prison on theft charges. 

More recently, in 2021, Poolson was sentenced to six months in prison on motor vehicle theft charges. Following his release, he was accused of violating his parole by not attending mental health counseling. 

In May 2022, Poolson pleaded guilty to motor vehicle theft and was sentenced to two years probation, meaning he was on probation at the time of his death. 

Stephen Poolson has a lengthy criminal history including prison time. He was on probation at the time of his death

The original press release from the Littleton Police Department did not make reference to the officer ramming Poolson

The police officer involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation

The scene following the the February 2 shooting 

Following the shooting, Poolson was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead 

According to numerous tributes on social media, Poolson went by the nickname Louisiana. He was a native of Baton Rouge. 

His wife paid tribute to him saying, 'This man, my heart, my soul, was gunned down and killed by the Littleton police department. Please, please, please if nothing else spread the word. This death has to mean something, his life has to mean something!'

According to his obituary, Poolson is survived by his wife, stepdaughter, parents and sister. 

The tribute reads in one section, 'Stephen loved life, and he lived it big. Stephen rarely sat still, he loved riding motorcyles, four wheelers, boats, and playing in the dirt. He enjoyed travelling, seeing unfamiliar places, and meeting people.'

He is described as being a fan of the New Orleans Saints, proud of his Louisiana roots and of being life of the party and of having a unique sense of humor. 

Poolson was described as being a fan of the New Orleans Saints, proud of his Louisiana roots and of being life of the party and of having a unique sense of humor

In December 2022, Poolson posted a screenshot of an email that he sent to his a mental health counselor. He was required to fulfill sessions as part of his probation agreement. 

He wrote in part, 'My conviction is grand theft auto, it has nothing to do with the face that I'm insane.' The suspect said he could not afford to keep attending the sessions. 

The suspect added, 'Mentally, I'm stable for the moment and as for reporting me to my probation officer go ahead because IDGAF.' 

The incident is under investigation from several outside law enforcement agencies. The officer involved has been placed on administrative leave as is standard procedure.

The Littleton Police Department has said that they will be releasing the bodycam footage and all other related media files to the public.