Police kill unarmed suspect with 42 rounds

An unarmed man suspected of car theft was killed when seven police officers fired 42 rounds at him, police in the United States said today.

Police opened fire on the suspect on Friday in a car park in central Denver after he rammed patrol cars with a stolen vehicle, police said.

‘‘They were telling him to stop and he was ramming the vehicles they were using as a cover,’’ Detective Mary Thomas said.

Police said they did not know how many bullets hit suspect Richard Vaughn Dutson Jr, 39, but his relatives called officers’ actions excessive.

‘‘My goodness, why in the world they would mutilate an unarmed man?’’ said Dutson’s mother, Beverly Dutson.

All seven police officers were put on leave on Saturday, which is routine after a shooting death, said Thomas said.