DENVER — The man who shot and killed two people on I-25 last year following a road rage incident spoke to the public for the first time since the Denver district attorney dropped all charges against him.
For 14 months, Stephan Long has claimed self-defense. The DA said the evidence matched what Long originally said and agreed it was self-defense. The office closed its case against Long.
At the edge of Denver's jail Thursday evening, family, friends and advocates cheered Stephan Long as he took his first steps, free of his ankle monitor and all charges against him.
"Thank everybody from the arresting point. We had a lot of community present and community's always been there for me since the first second I was arrested," Long said. "I couldn't thank you guys enough community and showing so much love to my family and support and lifting us up during this terrible time."
This moment was significant for so many gathered on the steps near Long, but especially for his mom.
"There's so many, so many people that I'm thankful to right now. But I don't ever want to discredit that two people did lose their lives so I'm praying for that family as well. But I'm thankful for my son and what we've gone through, this journey that we did not have to go through," said Stephanie Clifton, Long's mother.
Long was arrested following a shooting after a road rage incident on I-25 last June. Investigators said Blake and Damon Lucas cut Long off and when he pulled over, the men attacked him.
Long told 9NEWS previously, he was scared for his life and couldn't get away, so he shot the men and drove off.
For more than a year, he's claimed self-defense. District Attorney Beth McCann said the evidence of self-defense is clear and dropped all charges against him.
Alexander Landau, founder and co-executive director of the Denver Justice Project said that's not enough.
"Because Beth, yes, you get the credit for finally dismissing this case but you also deserve the scrutiny for charging him in the first place. No new evidence was presented. Everything that led up to this dismissal was the exact same evidence you were looking at from day one," Landau said.
Long said constant support from his family and the community helped him through this tough year. Now, he's ready for a new path forward.
"Just want to take this time to enjoy with my family and start moving forward. Thank everybody," Long said.
Landau said while they're glad to see Long cleared of all charges, this situation shouldn't have happened in the first place. They want to see aggressive prosecutorial practices addressed and more equitable treatment for people of color in self-defense cases.
Landau said that work will continue.