The independent watchdog for Denver’s law enforcement agencies announced Thursday that he will open an investigation into the Denver Police Department’s actions during recent protests against police violence. Nicholas Mitchell, the city’s independent monitor, wrote in a letter to City Council that his office would look into police officers’ “use of physical force, chemical agents, […]
police accountability
Posted inCrime and Courts, News, Politics and Government
Carotid holds would now be banned under Colorado’s police accountability bill, which is nearing passage
The wide-reaching Colorado police accountability bill nearing passage in the state legislature would ban officers from using controversial carotid pressure holds, which were central to the death last year of a 23-year-old man in Aurora after an encounter with law enforcement. The ban on the maneuver, in which officers apply pressure to both sides of […]
Posted inPolitics and Government
What we know — and don’t — about the Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate after the second debate
Former Gov. John Hickenlooper continues to avoid questions about state ethics violations and his decision to defy a subpoena, declining to say during a U.S. Senate debate Wednesday whether he did anything wrong or should be held accountable. His rival in the Democratic primary, Andrew Romanoff, said he’s not sure whether he believes Tara Reade’s […]
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3 takeaways from the first U.S. Senate debate between Democrats John Hickenlooper and Andrew Romanoff
John Hickenlooper touted his record as governor and ability to find compromise, and his rival Andrew Romanoff called for bolder action to address racial injustice, health care and climate change in the first Democratic U.S. Senate primary debate. The differences in style and substance between the candidates became clear from the start of the 30-minute […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, News, Politics and Government
Colorado’s sweeping police accountability bill now requires officers to face imminent threat before using deadly force
Colorado Democrats’ sweeping police accountability bill won preliminary approval Monday in the state Senate after undergoing a number of changes, including the addition of a prohibition on the use of deadly force by officers unless they face an imminent threat. Currently, officers may use deadly force if they reasonably fear for their lives or the […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, News, Politics and Government
Colorado Democrats unveil sweeping police accountability bill in response to George Floyd’s death
Democratic state lawmakers on Tuesday began to unveil a sweeping bill aimed at increasing law enforcement accountability in Colorado by collecting racial profiling data, ensuring officers hold each other accountable and making it easier for the public to file lawsuits against police. The measure, which could be introduced as soon as Wednesday, also would beef […]