Nine Denver officers fired 109 shots at armed man who fired at victims and police

The Denver constabulary shooting decease of a carjacking suspect, who had fired a handgun randomly into a playground and who fired shots astatine officers, was a justified usage of deadly force, according to the Denver District Attorney’s Office.

The shooting decease of Cedrick Vick, 22, happened connected May 14 astatine West First Avenue and Perry Street, according to reappraisal missive of the incidental released Thursday. Nine officers fired astatine full of 109 shots astatine Vick.

“At the infinitesimal they discharged their firearms, the officers knew that Mr. Vick had fired his weapon astatine slightest doubly earlier shooting astatine and carjacking a pistillate who was holding a young child; that his weapon was real, and that helium was consenting to sprout astatine some civilians and police,” District Attorney Beth McCann said successful a quality release. “Mr. Vick posed an contiguous menace to nationalist information and these 9 officers were much than justified successful utilizing deadly unit to halt him.”

The officers who fired astatine Vick are: Joshua Catlett, 20 rounds; Justin Kennedy, 18 rounds; Shane Madrigal, 19 rounds; John McAndrews, 15 rounds; Eduardo Medero, 8 rounds; Maneechot Phanpaktra, 5 rounds; John Schaal, 12 rounds; John Silva, six rounds; and Jesse Trudel, six rounds.

McCann’s 24-page determination missive to Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen, dated Thursday, included witnesser and constabulary statements, on with 3 photographs of Vick holding and brandishing a handgun. Video footage from officers’ assemblage cameras were reviewed arsenic portion of the constabulary shooting investigation.

On May 14, 5 radical called 911 astatine astir 4:15 p.m. to study a antheral acting erratically and waving a gun successful the 4400 artifact of Morrison Road successful the Westwood neighborhood. One caller reported shots fired.

Responding officers recovered a pistillate who said a antheral had stolen her car astatine gunpoint, constabulary said aft the incident. A toddler was sitting successful the backmost spot and the pistillate was capable to instrumentality the kid from the conveyance earlier the man, aboriginal identified arsenic Vick, took the car. The pistillate told constabulary that Vick fired his weapon astatine her. He besides fired astatine different pistillate anterior to the carjacking, according to the review.

Officers pursued the stolen car and Vick fired astatine officers during the pursuit done southwest Denver neighborhoods. At 1 constituent the car crashed into different vehicle, the radical successful the car were not injured. Vick crashed the stolen car astatine First and Perry. Vick fired astatine slightest 5 times astatine strangers and constabulary successful astir a 15-minute span, constabulary said astatine the time.

When Vick got retired of the crashed car, helium was equipped and opened occurrence astatine police, according to the review.

“I reason that nether applicable Colorado law, nary transgression charges are warranted against these officers,” McCann said successful the determination letter. “My decision, based connected standards of transgression law, does not bounds administrative enactment by the Denver Police Department, wherever tactical issues whitethorn beryllium reviewed, oregon civilian actions wherever little stringent laws, rules and ineligible levels of impervious apply.”

McCann volition contiguous a public virtual meeting astir the shooting determination astatine 5:30 p.m. connected Wednesday, Sept. 22, via Microsoft Teams.