Denver police officers spent four minutes trying to reason with an armed man who refused to comply with orders before they shot him two times as he reached behind his back where a gun was wedged between his belt and pants, according to body-worn camera footage released Thursday.
The 32-year-old man was shot twice by police and has since been released from the hospital, Cmdr. Matt Clark said at a Thursday news conference intended to update the public on the investigation. The man is charged with unlawfully carrying a firearm and carrying a prohibited high-capacity magazine.
Police were patrolling the Cedar Run apartment complex at 888 South Oneida St. at 1:40 p.m. on Nov. 27 when they noticed the man moving boxes outside of his vehicle and saw he had a handgun between his belt and pants on the back side of his waistband, Clark said.
Loud music can be heard blaring from a black truck in body-worn camera footage as officers ordered the man to put his hands on his head and get on his knees.
Officers told the man it’s illegal to open carry in Denver as they ordered him to put his hands on his head, according to the footage.
The man refused to comply and told officers he didn’t “want to live in this world” and that they “have no idea how bad it is.”
The man also told officers he doesn’t trust them because he’s been betrayed by cops before.
Officers repeatedly told the man they didn’t want to shoot him and to comply so they could take his gun and be done with it, according to the footage.
Approximately five minutes into the encounter, the man appeared to reach for something behind his back and two officers fired at him five times, causing him to fall to the ground. Officers handcuffed him and began medical aid, according to the footage and Clark.
The man was shot in the upper neck and had a graze wound to his arm, Clark said. Police recovered a Glock 17 9mm handgun loaded with 17 bullets from the scene. Colorado law prohibits magazines that hold more than 15 rounds.
Police Chief Ron Thomas said Thursday he was pleased with how the officers reacted to the situation.
“I think they took a significant amount of time to de-escalate that situation,” Thomas said. “I don’t believe any officer wanted to fire in this particular case.”
The officers who fired their guns have been placed on modified duty while they undergo a department reintegration program, Clark said.
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