The man who brought a gun to a crowded Lower Downtown street and sparked Denver police to fire into a bunch of innocent bystanders was sentenced to prison on Thursday, Feb. 8.
Jordan Waddy was sentenced to two years and six months in prison on a weapons violation.
Around 1:30 a.m. Sunday, July 17, 2022, officers responded to an altercation at 20th and Larimer Streets in LoDo as bars were being let out and crowds were gathered around food trucks.
Officers had approached Waddy, who was suspected of having a gun in his front pocket. The officers opened fire when they said they saw Waddy point a gun at them. Three police officers fired into the crowd, injuring six bystanders in the shooting.
Denver police defended the officers' actions and said they had to act quickly after Waddy pointed a gun at them.
“The officers were specifically defending their own life,” said Lt. Matt Clark to reporters in 2022. “They thought they were in peril and the subject could have fired upon them.”
One of the officers who shot into the crowd was also charged with reckless endangerment after an indictment called his decision to fire his weapon unnecessary. Brandon Ramos pleaded guilty and was sentenced to probation last month.
At least four of the bystanders injured in the shooting have filed lawsuits against Ramos and the Denver Police Department.
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