Man killed in Pueblo officer-involved shooting identified, remembered by family Saturday
PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- Although he has yet to be officially identified by authorities, the family of Ronald Ray Valdez, 34, confirmed Saturday to KRDO 13 that he was the man shot to death by police officers Wednesday night.
The details from police: At around 7:45 p.m., they they responded to a report of a man with a gun in the parking lot of a Popeye's restaurant near the intersection of US 50 and Outlook Boulevard; officers found the man in a vehicle and asked him to show his hands; he refused to do so and then began firing a gun at officers, who returned fire; Valdez died at the scene and no officers were hurt.
An unspecified number of officers involved in the shooting are on administrative leave pending an investigation.
Rev. Paul Montoya, a community pastor known for helping people experiencing homelessness, said that the Valdez family asked him to lead a vigil Saturday evening.
"I didn't know Ron personally, but I know his sisters," he said. "They're really a wonderful family. They've brought donations to my house before, as they know I help the homeless community. I've met with the sisters quite a few times, and it doesn't seem (the incident) was actually the way Ronnie was. But I really don't know what happened. I'm being neutral. I'm just here to help the family and provide some comfort. I'll probably help them with the funeral, as well."
Sadly, this isn't the first time Montoya has performed such a service.
"That evening, within 20 minutes, there was a shooting on the East Side," he recalled. "I could hear the gunfire. I'm starting to get accustomed to it. We need to start looking out for each other a little bit more. I know that it's hard to be a police officer right now -- they're understaffed ad can't be everywhere at once. But it's hard for the families. When they don't have answers, they feel that no one is doing anything. But there's a process that has to be followed. The truth will come out in the end."
A crowd estimated at several hundred, attended the hour-long vigil in the parking lot where Valdez died; they remembered him by releasing balloons, lighting candles, sharing memories and setting off fireworks at the end of the event.
Now, family and friends prepare for his funeral.
"We've got to do this again, because we still haven't seen him," Valdez's brother told the audience. "So, let's do it bigger -- because we've done this before, right?"
One woman held a sign that asked why Valdez was shot more than three-dozen times.
A cousin of Valdez said: "We will find the right way to make sure that everyone knows that he was not the person they're saying."
"We have to demand justice," an aunt of Valdez said. "What happened to him, it didn't have to go down that way. There's not a bad story to tell about him. He was funny, goofy. Thank you all for being here."
His family declined interviews Saturday, saying that they will have more to say when the time is right.
Valdez leaves behind his girlfriend and four children.
