DENVER — The Denver Police officer who was indicted after a 2022 shooting in Lower Downtown that injured six bystanders pleaded guilty Tuesday to a single charge of third-degree assault and was immediately sentenced to probation.
Brandon Ramos, 30, previously pleaded not guilty in Denver District Court to 14 charges from an indictment handed down by a grand jury last 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
Those 14 counts were dismissed, and he pleaded guilty to an added count of third-degree assault, which is a Class Two misdemeanor. The charge includes all six named victims.
The plea means that Ramos is likely to be disqualified by the state from serving as a peace officer. It also stipulated that he be sentenced to 18 months of probation. Judge Nikea Bland noted that while Ramos is not serving time, the sentence is still life-changing for him because he will no longer be able to serve as an officer.
Several of the wounded victims spoke at the hearing Tuesday morning ahead of the formal sentencing for Ramos. Willis Small IV told the judge that it was a "miracle" that no one died that night.
Bailey Alexander said she knows that Ramos did not intend to hurt anyone that morning but said as a police officer, he's held to a higher standard.
“I think it is a huge step in getting some sort of accountability," Alexander said of the plea deal.
“Mentally, I'm still dealing with anxiety with public places. Even seeing a police car on the street would throw me into a panic. So yeah. Still hard to deal with," another victim, Yekalo Weldehiwet, told reporters outside of court.
According to DPD, officers saw Jordan Waddy shoving and punching another person in the early morning hours of July 17, 2022, outside Larimer Beer Hall. Waddy, the "aggressor" in the attack, hit the other man and had a gun, DPD said.
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.
His attorney told the judge that the "last thing" Ramos wanted to do that night was to hurt anyone. Ramos chose not to make a statement at Tuesday's hearing.
Ramos has been with DPD since 2019. He was placed on unpaid suspension after the indictment was handed down. He had been set for trial next month.
“This has been an incredibly difficult experience for the young people who were shot by Officer Ramos and I wish them the best in their recovery," Denver District Attorney Beth McCann said in a statement. "But, given the fact that Officer Ramos clearly did not intend to shoot innocent bystanders, I believe a conviction for third degree assault, for recklessly causing the victims’ injuries, is the appropriate resolution in this case.
Of course, none of this would have happened had Jordan Waddy not been carrying an illegal weapon and, for that reason, I am pleased that Mr. Waddy has pleaded guilty to a felony charge and will be held accountable for his role in the events of that night.”
Waddy pleaded guilty last week to a weapons charge and is set to be sentenced on Jan. 30.
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