Two men shot by Denver police – one who was killed and one seriously injured – in separate confrontations in late August were wielding fake guns, Denver Police Department officials said Thursday.
The shootings happened over the course of three days in the city’s Goldsmith and Valverde neighborhoods when police responded to weapons calls, Major Crimes Cmdr. Matt Clark said at a briefing.
The first shooting happened around 4 a.m. Aug. 22 after officers responded to a 911 call about eight gunshots fired in an apartment building in the 4900 block of East Donald Avenue.
A few minutes later, a second 911 caller reported a domestic disturbance in the same building, and officers saw a woman coming down the stairs of the building followed by a man who ran out the back door and tried to flee from police.
Three police officers tried to wrestle the man to the ground before spotting a gun in his hand, video of the encounter from body-worn cameras showed. At one point, the man can be heard telling police it’s not a real gun as they try to wrestle it away from him.
One officer had his hand on the muzzle of the man’s gun and was trying to control it when the man grabbed at the officer’s holstered gun, which is when a second officer shot him.
The man, later identified as 48-year-old Javier Nava Carbajal, was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead.
Investigators found Carbajal was carrying a BB gun that looked like a revolver. It was loaded with live rounds but would not have been capable of firing the bullets, Clark said, and it’s not typical for a replica weapon to be loaded with live ammunition.
Police do not believe Carbajal was involved in the initial shots fired call and are still looking to speak with the woman who was running down the stairs, Clark added.
The second shooting happened near West Alameda Avenue and South Lipan Street after 8:25 a.m. when a 911 caller said a man was pointing a gun at passing cars.
Officers found the man in a parking lot on the north side of the 1200 block of Alameda Avenue holding a shopping car loaded with his belongings, the video showed.
The man pointed a gun at police, and two officers fired nine shots at the man, none of which hit him. The man appeared to fall to the ground but later started waving the gun above the shopping cart and did not follow instructions to drop the gun, Clark said.
At one point, an officer on the video said he doesn’t know if the man’s gun is real or not, but police on scene should treat it like it is.
Officers tried to negotiate with him for several minutes, the video showed, and one officer pleaded with him.
“Drop the gun, please, I want to help you,” the officer said.
Another officer fired one round from a rifle after seeing his hand move toward the trigger on the gun, hitting the man’s face, Clark said. Police approached the man as a group and started providing medical aid.
Related Articles
Man killed by Aurora police was armed, tossed gun before confrontation, chief says Man shot, killed by Aurora police during traffic stop confrontation Armed man shot, wounded by Fremont County deputy Man shot by Denver police accused of pointing gun at passing cars, officers Man fatally shot by Colorado Springs police after firing at officersThe man, 62-year-old Allen Scott, is still hospitalized and is expected to survive, Clark said. Investigators found he was carrying a replica Walther PPK airsoft gun, and he is charged with one count of felony menacing in the incident.
Chief Ron Thomas said the apparently growing trend of people using replica firearms is a “significant concern.”
“That’s something we will continue to track and continue to work with our academy to see if there are other opportunities to continue to de-escalate,” he said.
“But as you can see from these two firearms… these look so close to a real weapon that I wouldn’t expect any officer to act differently.”
Sign up to get crime news sent straight to your inbox each day.
Hence then, the article about 2 men shot by denver police were holding fake guns officials say was published today ( ) and is available on The Denver Post ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( 2 men shot by Denver police were holding fake guns, officials say )
Also on site :
- A Recent Tragedy Has Left My Kids Devastated. But I’m Secretly Pleased.
- Refugee-student housing project in EU state rocked by rape scandal
- Former Ukrainian PM blasts Zelensky’s ‘fascist regime’