Shootings by Denver Police Prompt Outcry: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
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Fatal shootings by Denver police have raised questions over the department's use of force and prompted the U.S. Justice Department to consider an investigation into local law enforcement. The latest killing was July 11, when a Denver police officer looking for a domestic violence suspect crawled through an upstairs window and shot 63-year-old invalid, Frank Lobato (Pictured above left) as he lay in bed, watching television. Police said the officer thought Lobato, who was not the wanted man, was holding a gun. It turned out to be a soda can. Denver police fatally shot eight people last year and three this year. The circumstances surrounding many of the cases have raised eyebrows. Last year, an officer killed Paul Childs (Pictured above top right), a 15-year-old developmentally disabled black teenager armed with a knife. The shooting sparked demonstrations and anger throughout the city. In many cases, those killed were black or Latino. "The police are very much distrusted in the minority community," the Rev. Patrick Demmer, a community activist, said. "They go into these communities like they are going into a war zone." [more] and [more]
