Cop injured as driver rear-ends patrol car and drives away

A Denver police officer was injured Tuesday night when his patrol car was rear-ended on Federal Boulevard.

Just before midnight, the officer was stopped on Federal Boulevard near West 23rd Avenue when a car hit the cruiser’s back left side, said Sonny Jackson, spokesman for the Denver Police Department.

The car then continued south in the northbound lanes of Federal Boulevard and at one point drove onto a sidewalk.

Police caught up to the car in the 1700 block of Grove Street, where they arrested the male driver, Jackson said.

The officer was taken to an area hospital with back pain.

The driver, whose name was not released, faces charges of felony eluding and hit-and-run and other traffic-related charges, Jackson said.

Third officer-involved shooting this week in Aurora

The Aurora pigs have shot 5 people this week, killing 3 of them. All of the people tried to defend themselves, and some shot back.

Looks like it’s that time and place…

Hurry to play, comrade, before the media convinces you that the actions of the police are somehow ‘justified’.

No peace in the streets with police in the streets!

 

AURORA — A man is dead, two others were injured and a police officer also received injuries in a late-night shooting in Aurora.

This marks the third time in the past week that an officer was injured and a suspect killed in an officer-involved shooting in Aurora.

It happened shortly before midnight, in the 400 block of North Laredo Street when Aurora police officers encountered three male suspects in an industrial area, according to a news release from Aurora Police Sgt. Cassidee Carlson.

The shooting happened inside a fenced-in car storage lot behind the Automotive Service Center, a group of three buildings where auto repair and collision businesses — many of which are family-owned — rent space.

Police were responding to a possible car theft in progress when they found the three men in a back lot.

That’s when, Carlson said, the suspects hopped into a truck and tried to drive off.

Carlson said shots were fired.

Two of the three people in the truck were hit by gunfire. One man died at a hospital. A second man who was shot is being treated at a hospital, while the third man is being treated for injuries believed to have been sustained in an ensuing, post-shooting crash.

One officer received an injury to his head and was taken to a local hospital. It was unclear how he was hurt. Police said he is expected to be released this morning.

Carlson said police are investigating whether the driver drove at an officer and hit him with the truck.

The names and conditions of the people involved weren’t released.

Investigators are still determining who shot at whom and a sequence of events.

The officers who fired their weapons have been placed on standard, paid administrative leave pending an internal review of the shooting. Their names were not released.

Off-duty ICE cop stabbed

An off-duty immigration officer was injured in an altercation at a liquor store Saturday night, Denver police said.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer was not seriously hurt.

“The guy pulled out a knife and cut him,” police spokesman Sonny Jackson said.

The incident at 5135 Chambers Rd. was reported at about 8:39 p.m., said police spokeswoman Leslie Branchwise.

Colorado Springs cop attacked trying to break up fight

An early-morning scuffle between police and four people led to a head injury for one police officer and a man going to jail.

The fight happened just after 1 a.m. today after police were called to the El Vecino Apartments at 1802 Monterey Road in southeast Colorado Springs. Several people were arguing and fighting when police arrived. When officers tried to break it up, two people turned their aggression toward them.

According to a police report, Anitwain Ellis, 24, who later was taken to the El Paso County jail, “violently pushed” a female officer. The officer fell hard, the report said, injuring her knee and head.

After police used pepper spray to control Ellis and another person, two more people joined the fight. Officers eventually hit them with a Taser.

Ellis was arrested and taken into custody on suspicion of assault on a police officer while the other three people were cited on suspicion of obstruction and let go.

The injured officer was taken to a local hospital to be treated and was later released.

Lafayette cop injured in hit-and-run at traffic stop

A police officer was injured early this morning when a suspected drunken driver side-swiped his cruiser near 120th Street and Baseline Road.

The Lafayette Police Department says one of its officers was involved in a traffic stop when another driver clipped his patrol car. The cruiser had front-end damage and the officer was taken to a local hospital with a non life-threatening head injury.

Lafayette Police says the suspect, who has been identified as 18-year-old Steven Lutton of Lafayette, allegedly fled the scene.

The Colorado State Patrol spotted him about a ¼ mile from the scene and arrested him.

Aurora cop shot; suspect killed after barricade

AURORA – Police killed a man accused of wounding an Aurora Police officer Thursday night and then engaged in a shoot out with police.

Around 8:15 p.m., an Aurora officer attempted a traffic stop near Colfax Avenue & Elmira Street, but the man ran off.

The chase went into a nearby courtyard where the suspect fired at the officer, according to Aurora Police Sgt. Cassidee Carlson.

The officer returned fire.

Police say the officer suffered a gunshot wound to the leg.

Initially it was believe the officer was shot multiple times, however, doctors now say the officer was struck by multiple bullet fragments, not multiple bullets. He was been treated and released from a local hospital.

Police set up a perimeter and began a manhunt for the suspect. During this effort, officers were able to contact the suspect who told them he still had a weapon, ammunition and planned to “go out shooting,” according to Carlson.

She says officers were able to determine the man had fled to an apartment complex at Colfax Avenue and Emporia Street and called in the SWAT team.

The SWAT team was able to establish communication with the suspect again.

Carlson says efforts to talk the man into surrendering were unsuccessful. Shortly after 7 a.m. Friday the SWAT team decided to try to force the man out using gas. The man tried to escape through a window. He was still carrying a gun, according to Aurora Police. Officers opened fire, killing the suspect. The man has not been identified.

Cop killed at trailer park in Limon

LIMON — A standoff that began with the fatal shooting of a Limon police officer ended late Wednesday when the suspect was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

At a post-midnight news conference, State Trooper Heather Cobler said that officers were serving a warrant at a residence at the Wagon Wheel Mobile Home Park at about 6:10 p.m. when the man they were serving opened fire.

Officer Jay Sheridan, 27, was killed.

Two other officers, who were not identified, remained in a separate room in the mobile home and called for assistance.

Several law enforcement authorities — including deputies from Lincoln, Elbert and Douglas counties, and members of the Colorado State Patrol and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation — arrived at the scene.

At 10:40 p.m., Cobler said, SWAT officers from Douglas and Elbert counties entered the residence and found the suspect’s body. The two officers in the other room were unharmed.

Jim Hartwig, manager of the Wagon Wheel Mobile Home Park, said he lived next to Hasty, who had been living in the trailer with a woman since November.

Hasty once told Hartwig, “If police try to come into my house they are going to get shot.”

State trooper dragged 30 feet after pulling car over

LARIMER COUNTY – A Colorado State Patrol trooper had to be treated for minor injuries after being dragged during a traffic stop north of Fort Collins Tuesday night.

According to the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, the trooper had stopped a vehicle near College Avenue and Willox Lane around 8 p.m. Investigators say the trooper was standing by the driver’s window when the driver suddenly put the car into gear and tried to speed off. The trooper reportedly grabbed the driver’s arm and was then dragged about 30 feet. As the vehicle approached a brick wall, the trooper was able to let go and he fell to the ground, the sheriff’s office said.

The vehicle was later found abandoned in a ditch near Willox Lane and Shields Street. Deputies with the sheriff’s office and Fort Collins police officers immediately began to search the area. A K9 unit was brought in to help and eventually the suspect, who has been identified as 42-year-old Juan Alvarez of Fort Collins, was found hiding in the 200 block of U.S. Highway 287.

Alvarez was arrested and is facing a felony assault charge.

The trooper was taken to Poudre Valley Hospital where he was treated for minor injuries and released.

Arson investigator’s van arsoned

An arson investigator’s van was set on fire early Wednesday in southwest Denver as he was inside a nearby home investigating two other vehicle fires.

The incident happened about 12:30 a.m. in the 3900 block of West Kentucky Avenue, said Lt. Phil Champagne, a Denver Fire Department spokesman.

Fire officials are now investigating three possible cases of vehicle arson, including the van.

“It’s a great concern to us that an individual would be so bold,” Champagne said.

The van fire started in the engine compartment, and it was quickly extinguished before it could spread to the cab, Champagne said. Authorities believe an accelerant was splashed on the front bumper.

Investigators usually work in pairs, but one of the two called in sick.

We ain’t takin this no mo’: The streets fill with rage against the Denver cops

from Queen City Antifa:

Denver, Colorado. January 29, 2011.
We ain’t takin this no mo’!

The Action

In a third round of street demonstrations against police terror in the Denver metro area in the last six months, hundreds took to the streets of downtown Denver on the night of January 29^th. A crowd that started as 150 and at times fluctuated to almost twice that number stormed the 16^th Street Mall, a commercial epicenter of downtown Denver in a display of rage that hasn’t been seen in Denver in quite some time.

The actions come on the heels of an endless series of police misconduct incidents, including the killing of a prisoner named Marvin Booker by Denver County Sheriffs at the Van Cise-Simonet Detention Center in July 2010. A laundry list of beatings, rapes, child pornography and drug charges has marked police activity in the metro area. Lawsuit after lawsuit has been filed, with the city of Denver paying out millions of dollars over the last several years.

The crowd gathered at the Denver Skatepark at 19^th and Little Raven Streets at 6pm. Because of its proximity to downtown and the locations of several high profile police misconduct cases, the Skatepark has been the launching site of two of the three street actions that have happened since the murder of Marvin.

The crowd assembled for several short speeches, and stormed off into the night, filling the streets. Banners accompanying the crowd included messages such as “Marvin Booker was murdered” and “6 months later, we have not forgotten”. Several more pointed banners also illustrated the anger seething within the crowd. One banner displayed a picture of a Glock pistol with the words “They have left us no other option” printed below the weapon. Another depicted twin unicorns impaling stereotypical renderings of a businessman and a police officer.

As the crowd moved toward downtown, united chants filled the air: “From Denver to Greece, Fuck the Police!”; “Cops, Pigs, Murderers!”; and “Oink, oink, bang, bang, every day the same old thang” were among the crowd’s favorites. Marvin Booker’s name was also chanted excitedly and for long periods of time, to remind the cops and other passerby of one of the many victims at the hands of Denver metro law enforcement agencies.

The march passed over the pedestrian bridge into the 16^th Street Mall district, taking both lanes of the street, shutting down all bus traffic on the mall. As with the demonstration on October 22^nd, hundreds of stickers of Marvin’s face were placed on storefronts, street poles, and other targets.

Although no permit existed, police worked to direct traffic away from the march, and kept their distance while the march worked its way toward the capitol and the detention center.

After an unexpected turn toward the jail, the march took over Colfax Ave, one of the busiest streets in Denver, blocking all traffic on the street. Several blocks later, and the march was at the steps of the Van Cise-Simonet Detention Center, the new jail where Marvin was murdered by guards just six months ago, and where so many other victims of police terror end up on a daily basis.

The crowd surged toward the doors of the center, covering the large glass entrance with stickers. The whole entrance shook as marchers pounded and kicked on the doors and windows, while the crowd loudly screamed Marvin’s name. A deputy that came out to try to intimidate the crowd found himself momentarily pinned in between the frame and the door he attempted to exit from. After the door being slammed on his arm several times, he retreated back inside the building. The crowd had demonstrated its militancy and willingness to engage the deputies. No other jail guards attempted to confront the crowd.

The march proceeded to 14^th Ave, and took a turn back toward downtown. At this point, construction barrels and security fencing from a large event that had taken place earlier in Civic Center Park were pulled into the street behind the marchers. A series of low level barricades were erected.

The march turned yet again, this time onto Broadway, another of the busiest streets in Denver. The march proceeded the wrong way down the one way street, and police frantically tried to clear traffic out of the path of the march.

As the crowd passed through the intersection of Colfax and Broadway, the police cars stationed there became targets for stickers and graffiti. Officers hurried out of their cars to try to arrest demonstrators. Their attempts failed, and the crowd continued back toward the 16^th Street Mall.

By the time the crowd reached the mall, the march had been in control of the streets for well over an hour. A sense of power and rage seemed to be emanating from the crowd. The second pass through downtown would not be as peaceful as the first.

Trash cans, benches, chairs, and anything else not bolted down filled the streets behind the marchers. Christmas decorations, pay phones, and displays were destroyed by the crowd. Even more trashcans and chairs were thrown at bank windows, though few, if any of the windows seemed to break.

Anti-cop graffiti filled the walls and windows of businesses as the crowd continued to work its way back up the 16^th Street Mall. The crowd wanted to make sure that people would not forget this night. The city and the police would not be able to ignore the anger and rage seething from this march.

Somewhere near Champa and 16^th Street, a decision was made to disperse, as riot police were finally mobilizing nearby. With a quick group countdown, the marchers dispersed themselves into the night.

One arrest was confirmed during the dispersal, though the person arrested was later released without charges after the police failed to identify them in any photos they had taken of the acts of property destruction.

The Actors

Much has been already noted about the mood of those in attendance, and the actions they took. But what of those that took the streets?

Much like the crowds that assembled in October, the participants in the march were mostly youth. Many were homeless and poor street kids who are frequently targeted by police downtown. Anarchists and other radicals were much better represented in this march than the previous October action. However, many familiar faces from the various scenes that make up the Denver anarchist movement were yet again missing. More mainstream activists and progressives were also in attendance, but yet again, constituted a very small minority. Probably the biggest difference from October was that local graf crews and hiphop heads were well represented at this march.

Overall, the crowd was widely diverse, but was overwhelmingly comprised of poor or working class youth. Just as in October, this factor was one of the largest reasons that the march was as militant as it was.

Finale

In the several days that have passed since the march, very little media coverage has been aired of the events of January 29. Two small snippets appeared on the local ABC and FOX affiliate news channels. A photo-montage of the police response that took place at the end of the march appeared in the local entertainment weekly, the Westword. But these few examples represent all of the local mainstream coverage of the event. Several photo essays and videos have been released from participants or independent and movement journalists. These reports, as has become typical, are the best representations of the events of the night.

Even as the media and the police try to black out the events that transpired, the news has reached thousands of residents in Denver already. Of course, the visible reminders of the march still litter parts of downtown days later, spurring conversations and storytelling about the nighttime melee.

The Next Act

The future looks promising for a movement that is both anti-cop and anti-authoritarian to continue to strengthen in the Denver area. With each successive action organized by radicals in response to the growing police terror in our communities there has been an escalation of tactics. The participation level has also increased, but not merely in the area of numbers, but in the amount of participation a single person puts into each action. Instead of a march with just several people controlling all the messaging, and the tactical decisions, the vast majority of the crowd became an active part in shaping the demonstration. Whether through tagging, erecting barricades, confronting cops, constructing banners, or controlling the chants, the march participants nearly all left behind the role of spectator by engaging the in the actions of the night.

The reign of police terror does not seem poised to cease any time soon, and neither does the anger rising from our communities. As one march participant pointed out our mission is to “create crisis and break the peace.” The actions of January 29^th definitely succeeded.

The police may still attempt to take actions against the participants, but as of yet we know of no charges having been filed against anyone involved in the march. This lack of immediate repression has also done much to embolden the participants of the march.

The next few months could be tumultuous indeed for the city of Denver. Even if elected officials fire a few of the officers involved with the endless list of misconduct cases, it doesn’t appear that the thirst for vengeance will be quenched.

People in Denver are starting to realize that they can become powerful. That can only spell trouble for the people that attempt to steal that power.

There are certainly challenges that face this movement. Questions of tactical efficacy need to be posed, especially as several march participants were almost hurt by others within the march wildly throwing objects. The general tactical decisions of the group seemed sound, but the relative inexperience of the participants could have injured fellow comrades.

Could the crowd have defended itself if directly attacked by the police? In case of mass arrest, were networks strong enough to deal with dozens of arrests, bail scenarios, and courtdates? How easily can various elements of the participants be turned against each other? Does solidarity only exist between social groupings during these marches, or is solidarity an everyday experience?

Education and training will certainly be needed, as well as much more practice in the streets. Most of these questions can only be answered if the needs themselves arise. Others, however, need to start to be answered now, before the situations they reference become reality.

January 29^th was just the latest chapter!

The rest of the story is unwritten!

In solidarity and rage!
Queen City Antifa
January 31, 2011

Videos available here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PslrrbLMDQY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODGnv7kjp14