Denver officer indicted in LoDo shooting that left 6 bystanders with injuries
DENVER, Colo. (KRDO) -- A grand jury has indicted a Denver Police Department (DPD) officer for his actions during an incident in Lower Downtown in which several bystanders were injured by gunfire, saying the indictment was returned in part because the officer knew he didn't have a "clear backdrop" when fired his weapon.
According to our news partners in Denver, the grand jury returned a 14-count indictment against Officer Brandon Ramos. The charges include two counts of second-degree assault, three counts of third-degree assault, three counts of third-degree assault: negligence with a deadly weapon, one count of prohibited use of a weapon, and five counts of reckless endangerment.
The jury made its decision after hearing from 17 witnesses and reviewing 140 exhibits.
According to DPD, the incident began when officers saw Jordan Waddy, 21, shoving and punching another person in the early morning hours of July 17, 2022, outside Larimer Beer Hall. Waddy was the "aggressor" in the attack, hit the other man, and had a gun, according to police.
According to our news partners, body camera video released by the city in August shows officers walking along Larimer Street, where police said they tried to stop Waddy. The footage shows Waddy walk onto Larimer Street. Then you see him take his hands out of his pockets and put them in the air as he walks back onto the sidewalk. He then walks toward the crowd gathered outside Larimer Beer Hall and away from officers.
DPD said Waddy then pointed a gun at officers and they fired at him. Three officers fired a total of seven shots, according to DPD. Six bystanders were injured and DPD has admitted responsibility for those injuries.
Ramos is facing the previously mentioned charges but the other two officers will not face charges after both the grand jury and district attorney determined their actions were legally justified.
A criminal case is pending against Waddy in the Denver District Court. He is charged with three counts of possession of a firearm as a previous offender and one count of third-degree assault.
