Graham joined the Lakewood Police Department in January 2019 and worked in patrol before moving to the major crimes unit, Chief Philip Smith said at a Friday press conference. He became a field training agent in 2023 and later joined the investigations division, where he handled more than 300 cases, Smith added.

Smith praised Graham’s “willingness to help others” and noted his family’s deep ties to law enforcement: his father was a police officer and his mother worked in the department’s crime lab.

Three other agents — Lakewood’s term for police officers — and a bystander were injured in the shooting. At least two of the injured agents have been released from the hospital, according to 9News.

The suspect was shot and killed by police, authorities said Thursday. The man had been released on parole Sept. 23 and was listed as an absconder two days later after failing to check in with his parole officer, 9News reported. Broomfield police arrested him Sept. 28, but he was released again about two weeks before Thursday’s shooting. He had previously served a 10-year sentence for an assault on an Adams County Sheriff’s deputy.

The shooting occurred on an RTD bus near Colfax Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard, a busy transit corridor in Lakewood.

Donations to Graham’s family can be made through the city of Lakewood’s website.

The death marks a painful loss for the department and the community, and raises questions about parole supervision and public safety. Graham is survived by his family and colleagues, who remembered him as a dedicated officer and mentor.