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On Tuesday, August 16, Denver City Police released surveillance footage of a controversial July 17 shooting.
In the footage, officers can be seen confronting Jordan Waddy, an armed man who pulled out a pistol after allegedly punching another man in an altercation. Following this, officers can be seen firing at Waddy as he's in the process of throwing his firearm on the floor.
Trigger warning: Viewer discretion is advised
As per the Denver Post, six bystanders were injured during the police firing. Three bystanders injured in the shooting have filed a complaint against the Denver Police Station concerning the shooting.
The officers involved in the shooting are currently on administrative leave pending the investigation. Waddy, 21, survived the incident and is facing assault-related charges.
Details of the Denver police shooting
According to Axios, the incident took place near the city's 20th and Larimer streets. After authorities confronted Waddy over an alleged confrontation, he backed up and pulled his gun, prompting officers to fire at him.
Authorities are now questioning whether or not officers had the right to fire, as Waddy seemingly only brought out the gun as he was in the process of surrendering.
In an official report, the Police Department initially justified the shooting.
Their statement read:
"In the moment, they were doing what they could to stop violence and ensure safety downtown, (though) something could have been done differently."
On Tuesday, authorities released another statement acknowledging the bystanders caught in the firing.
The statement read:
“The Department of Safety and Denver Police Department remain concerned about the health and well-being of those who were injured in this incident and will continue to offer support to aid in their healing.”
Siddhartha Rathod, an attorney representing three victims injured in the shooting, said:
“These videos are yet another sickening example of Denver Police Officers exercising excessive, lethal force without justification or concern for the safety of innocent bystanders.”
He continued:
“It is a miracle that more bystanders were not injured and that nobody was killed.”
ABC reported that after the probe was announced, District Attorney Beth McCann released an official statement concerning the investigation.
She said:
“The public’s interest in this particular shooting incident is understandably high.”
She continued:
“For the community to trust in the outcome from this incident, it is important that independent members of the community review the facts, evidence and law regarding whether these officers should be criminally charged.”
After the investigation began, the authorities were obligated to release footage due to the Police Accountability Law, which was passed in 2020 after the riots that emerged after the death of George Floyd.
