DENVER — Denver Police gave an update Thursday on two separate incidents last week: the shooting and injuring of a man by officers, and the in-custody death of a man after he was arrested for violating a restraining order.
The shooting happened Nov. 27. Police said officers shot a 32-year-old man who originally drew their attention because he was playing loud music from a pickup truck and removing items from the truck that he was tossing into a dumpster.
The shooting happened around 1:30 p.m. at an apartment complex in the 800 block of South Oneida Street near the intersection with Leetsdale Drive. The officers were in the area, returning to service from an unrelated call, when the man drew their attention, police said.
As officers approached the man, they noticed from a distance that he was carrying a gun in his waistband, police said. They spoke with the man for several minutes to try to get him to put his hands on his head so that they could safely take the gun.
The man, who didn't live at the apartment complex, refused to follow the officers' orders, and two officers fired their guns at him five times when he made a threatening motion toward his gun, according to police.
Officers rendered aid until an ambulance arrived and took the man to a hospital, where he was treated for two gunshot wounds.
No officers were injured.
Editor's note: The video below contains graphic images of a shooting, as well as strong language. It may be difficult for some people to watch.
The officers recovered a handgun with a 16-round magazine that was full, and there was another round in the chamber.
The man was arrested on suspicion of unlawful carrying of a firearm, openly carrying a firearm in Denver, and possession of a high-capacity magazine, said Major Crimes Division Cmdr. Matt Clark.
"It wasn't the fact that he possessed the weapon, it was the fact that it was openly displayed like that," Police Chief Ron Thomas said. "That is illegal."
"Their attention was drawn to him for other reasons, but once they saw that he had that firearm, I think it was wise for them to make safe contact, try to recover the firearm and then investigate exactly what was going on," Thomas said.
Thomas said the response was carried out as it should have been.
"I am pleased with the officers' actions," Thomas said. "I think that they took a significant amount of time to de-escalate that situation. I don't think any officer wanted to fire in this particular case and took a lot of precautions to try to get this to end peacefully."
> Watch Thursday's full news conference below:
The in-custody death was on Nov. 26. Police said a 43-year-old man arrested for violating a protective order suffered an "apparent medical event" that police said might have been related to narcotics. He was pronounced dead at Denver Health.
Officers responded to a call at 8:47 a.m. to 3737 N. Quebec St., which is a former hotel that has been converted into housing.
Police said the restraining order was related to a prior felony menacing by the suspect at the same location. The caller reported the man had removed an ankle monitor he was required to wear.
Officers arrived around 9:19 a.m. and found an ankle monitor in the alley and began looking for the suspect, who had entered a unit in the building. They found the man around 9:32 a.m. and used "a minimal amount of force (an arm control hold) to handcuff the suspect and take him into custody," police said.
Around 10:46 a.m., the officer taking the man to jail realized he was experiencing a medical issue in the back seat of the patrol car.
> Watch: DPD shares body camera video from in-custody death
The officer stopped the patrol car on the way to the jail and called paramedics and three other officers who were involved in the man's arrest to the location near the intersection of 29th and Champa streets, according to police.
Officers removed the man from the patrol car. He was conscious and standing at first but was "minimally responsive," police said.
Soon after the man was taken out of the patrol car, he became unconscious and stopped breathing. Officers performed CPR and administered naloxone in case he was having an opioid-related overdose, but the naloxone had no effect, police said.
Paramedics from Denver Health took the man to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:12 p.m. The medical examiner's office will determine how he died.
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