DENVER — A man who shot a Denver Police officer when he was 17 years old was sentenced Thursday to seven years in the Youthful Offender System.
Steve Calderon, now 18, pleaded guilty in August to attempted first-degree murder. Eleven other charges were dismissed as part of the plea deal.
At around 7:30 p.m. on June 7, 2023, Denver Police received an alert from their Spot Shotter system that there had been gunfire in the area of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Cherry Street.
They got a description of a potential suspect, later identified as Calderon, and found him within a few minutes. He rode off on a scooter, then went on foot, police said. Officers caught up with him a few blocks to the east.
Police said there was an exchange of gunfire between an officer and Calderon, during which both of them were shot.
The bullet struck a gun magazine that was on the officer's duty belt and destroyed it, according to the Denver District Attorney's Office. That magazine ultimately prevented the bullet from penetrating his body.
Calderon was shot twice, once in his leg and once in his back. He was taken to a hospital for treatment and survived his injuries.
The Denver District Attorney's Office determined the officer's use of force was justified and declined to charge him. They noted that he only used physical force after Calderon fired at him.
Calderon was sentenced Thursday to seven years in the Youthful Offender System, which provides habilitation programs and services that are meant to prepare offenders for successful re-entry into society. If he fails to complete that sentence, he faces 24 years in the Department of Corrections.
