Denver Man Allegedly Attacks Parked Police Officer In K-Mart Parking Lot With Hammer; Suicide Note Found On Suspect (VIDEO)

On Sunday, an unnamed man attacked a police officer with a hammer in the parking lot of a K-Mart, ambushing the officer while he was filling out paper work in his car. The motives are still unclear, but investigators found evidence that suggests that the man might have wanted to be killed by a police officer, according to The Denver Post.

UPDATE:

Police have identified the hammer-wielding suspect as James B. Bradley, 32, The Denver Post reports. Bradley has served time in the Colorado Department of Corrections after being found guilty in a 2009 felony sentencing.

EARLIER:

CBS4 reports that the shooting took place at the K-Mart near Evans and Federal at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon and this particular K-Mart parking lot is often frequented by police sitting in their cars doing paper work, according to Fox31.

Suddenly, the suspect, wielding a hammer, "rapidly approached the officer" and "smashed in the window of the patrol vehicle," Police Public Information Officer Vicki Ferrari told 9News. The officer, reportedly terrified, fired five shots -- several of which hit the suspect sending him to Denver Health where he remains in critical condition.

During the investigation after the shooting, police found a "suicide-type" note in the suspect's clothes as well as a large machete inside his rental truck parked near the scene of the incident, 7News reports.

Although the police have yet to identify the suspect, they believe he is a parolee with a criminal history. The officer has been placed on paid administrative leave while the investigation is underway.