An Aurora police officer slipped on ice and accidentally shot and critically wounded an unarmed suspected member of a car-theft ring, officials said Friday.

The suspect, 20-year-old Christopher Padilla, remained in critical but stable condition from the shooting Thursday night and is expected to survive, said Denver police Cmdr. Ron Saunier.

The incident began when a State Patrol officer and two Aurora police officers working on an auto theft task force were chasing Padilla — a suspected member of a “prolific” car-theft ring out of Commerce City — on Thursday night, said Aurora Police Chief Nick Metz.

Officers bumped the vehicle and stopped it in the 4500 block of Ivy Street around 8:20 p.m.

“From what we believe, the suspect got out of the vehicle,” Saunier said.

One of the responding Aurora officers, who has not been identified, then slipped on icy ground and unintentionally pulled the trigger of his gun while stumbling, Saunier said.

Padilla, who was not armed, was shot and transported to a hospital.

The officer, who has worked at the Aurora Police Department for at least 16 years, immediately radioed in that he had unintentionally shot someone, Metz said.

“This unintentional shooting will be treated the same as any officer-involved shooting,” Saunier said.

The officer’s gun was equipped with a tactical flashlight, said Aurora police spokesman Sgt. Chris Amsler.

Such flashlights, particularly those with certain easily activated switches, have been implicated in accidental shootings in Colorado and across the country. Last year, Denver’s police chief banned the use of tactical flashlights with switches below the trigger guard after officers accidentally fired their guns.

Amsler didn’t say which type of flashlight the officer was using Thursday night, but he did say there is “no indication” the officer’s tactical light was related to the discharge of the gun.

Metz ordered an immediate independent investigation into the shooting, along with training on safe gun handling.

The officer was placed on administrative leave pending the investigation.

“He’s taking this very seriously,” Metz said of the officer.

Padilla has two previous convictions of vehicle theft and outstanding warrants from Arvada and Jefferson County for car theft.

The Commerce City Police Department is investigating the car theft.

Staff writer Kieran Nicholson contributed to this report.