DENVER — Trial has been set for Feb. 20, 2024 for a Denver Police officer who was indicted after a shooting in Lower Downtown last year that injured six bystanders.
Brandon Ramos pleaded not guilty in Denver District Court Friday to the 14 charges from an indictment handed down by a grand jury in January. He was charged with the following:
- Two counts of second-degree assault – reckless
- Three counts of third-degree assault - knowing/reckless
- Three counts of third-degree assault - negligence with a deadly weapon
- One count of prohibited use of a weapon
- Five counts of reckless endangerment
According to DPD, officers saw Jordan Waddy, 21, shoving and punching another person in the early morning hours of July 17, 2021, outside Larimer Beer Hall. Waddy, the "aggressor" in the attack, hit the other man and had a gun, DPD said.
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DPD said Waddy pointed a gun at two officers, who each fired at him. One of those officers fired four rounds and the other fired twice, DPD said.
According to the indictment, Ramos was off to the side of Waddy and fired his weapon toward him twice. Six bystanders were injured.
The indictment says that the two other officers both "reasonably believed" their lives and the lives of others were in danger when they discharged their weapons.
The grand jury concluded that Ramos knew there was a large crowd behind Waddy and said he "consciously disregarded an unjustifiable risk" to the crowd. He's charged in relation to the injuries to five victims.
Ramos has been with DPD since 2019. He was placed on unpaid suspension after the indictment was handed down. He is due in court in December for a disposition hearing.
A criminal case against Waddy is pending before Denver District Court. He is due in court for a motions hearing next week.
The Denver Police Protective Association said in January that they were "deeply saddened" for those wounded that night but called the decision to indict Ramos "unfortunate and sad."
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