DENVER — A man accused of shooting a Denver police officer in the neck while handcuffed inside a police vehicle at the downtown detention center is charged with 25 felony counts.
The charges against Daniel Cheeseman include 13 counts of attempted murder and eight counts of assault or attempted assault, according to the Denver District Attorney's Office. He also faces 13 sentence-enhancing counts of using a weapon to commit a crime of violence.
Around 9 p.m. on Nov. 28 of last year, officers spotted what they believed was a stolen car near South Perry Street and West Arkansas Avenue in Denver. Officers attempted to stop the car, driven by Cheeseman, but he drove away before stopping at Lowell Boulevard and West Iowa Avenue, Denver Police (DPD) said.
Cheeseman walked away from the vehicle and officers took him into custody. He was searched and arrested, Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas said previously. During that search, officers found a handgun and suspected narcotics.
He arrived at the Downtown Detention Center at about 11 p.m.
While seated in the backseat of a patrol vehicle Cheeseman somehow accessed another weapon and fired it, striking an officer in the neck, police said.
Other officers at the detention center returned fire and struck Cheeseman multiple times. He was initially in critical condition and spent weeks in the hospital recovering. He attended a Jan. 25 advisement hearing virtually from his hospital bed.
He's next due in court on Feb. 16.
DPD said its internal affairs bureau would review any potential policy violations, but that it was "clear" officers missed a firearm while searching the suspect.
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