Man killed during Denver protests

Security guard said in custody after gunfire at dueling rallies

A private security guard working for a TV station was in custody Saturday after a person died from a shooting that took place during dueling protests in downtown Denver, the Denver Post reported.

Protesters were just starting to disperse from a park Saturday afternoon, police said, when officers working the events reported shots fired and then said that they had someone in custody. The violence — under investigation as a homicide — followed a “verbal altercation,” according to Joe Montoya, division chief of investigations for the Denver Police Department.

Right-wing demonstrators had gathered at the city’s Civic Center for a “Patriot Rally,” according to the Denver Post, as did left-wing activists affiliating themselves with Black Lives Matter and antifa. Police said Saturday that they are still trying to determine whether the alleged gunman and victim were affiliated with either group of protesters.

“There was a large [police] presence because we had two groups with opposing views, and we know that can always get very tense,” Montoya said at a news conference, adding that authorities tried their best to keep groups separate. “And there’s always potential for violence.”

The man who was shot was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died an hour later, the KUSA-TV station said.

KUSA-TV said on its website that it had contracted the private security guard who was arrested in connection with the shooting. “It has been the practice of 9NEWS for a number of months to hire private security to accompany staff at protests,” the station said.

The Denver Post reported that a man sprayed mace at another man, who then opened fire with a weapon. A mace canister was found at the scene. Two firearms were also recovered from the scene, according to Montoya.

The shooting took place between the Denver Art Museum and a public library, authorities said.

Police initially took another person into custody who was nearby, but later determined that they were not involved in the killing, Montoya said.

Montoya said he hopes to release more information about the individuals involved as soon as possible, suggesting that rumors could further inflame the situation and lead to more violence.

“We’re hopeful that that information will help kind of calm the waters a little bit,” he said. “We don’t want any erroneous information going out, any speculation, because that’s really what hurts us.”

The Denver Post reported that a man sprayed mace at another man, who then opened fire with a weapon.

(AP/The Denver Post/Helen H. Richardson) A man is taken into custody after authorities suspect he fatally shot another man Saturday in Denver. At the time two rallies, one right-wing and one left-wing, were taking place near each other.