An Auraria police officer was critically injured and a man who allegedly attacked the officer with a sword was fatally shot during a confrontation on the Auraria campus early Saturday morning, authorities say.

The police officer was rushed to a hospital in critical but stable condition, said Denver police spokeswoman Raquel Lopez.

“His finger was almost severed,” Lopez said.

The suspect, who has not been identified, was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, she said. The name of the Auraria police officer also has not been released.

Auraria police were called to Ninth and Walnut streets, near the Tivoli Student Center, at 5:54 a.m., said Denver Fire Department spokesman Lt. Phil Champagne.

Someone called dispatch and said, “Hey, there’s a guy out here with a sword,” Lopez said. “Any time you see someone walking around with a sword and swinging it around, you want to take precautions.”

The campus police officer confronted the sword-wielding man in a crosswalk near the front of the Tivoli building, Lopez said. The man did not obey orders and swung the sword, nearly lopping the officer’s finger off. The officer then shot the man, Lopez said.

Denver detectives were taking measurements on the street as snow began to fall Saturday morning. The sword, which appeared to be a Samurai-style weapon, was still on the street.

Police had put numbered markers next to the sword and what appeared to be a coat. Denver’s mobile-crime-laboratory trailer was set up near the shooting scene.

“That’s a strange thing,” said James Boyce, 44, a musical performance student at Metropolitan State University of Denver.

After getting a coffee at a nearby shop, Boyce said campus police typically keep the campus quiet.

“I feel very safe on campus,” Boyce said.

Ted Jimenez, 31, who works at the campus registrar’s office, said he was happy the officer protected himself.

“That’s just shocking,” Jimenez said.

The shooting is under investigation, Lopez said.

Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206, facebook.com/kmitchelldp or twitter.com/kmitchelldp