 Hello, my name is Matt Clark, and I am the commander of the Denver Police Department's Major Crimes Division. This critical incident debriefing is intended to provide you with information regarding a fatal shooting involving Denver police officers that occurred in the area of 38th Avenue and Olive Street in Northeast Denver on Friday, June 4th 2021. You are about to see relevant video footage and learn about other evidence and police procedures related to the case so you have an understanding of the details of this incident. The use of deadly force by a police officer demands a thorough investigation be completed. The Denver Police Department is committed to ensuring a full and timely investigation of these serious incidents. This allows for a comprehensive examination of the officers actions to determine compliance with state statutes and department policies. In accordance with legislation passed in 2015, the investigation of police shootings occurring in Denver are conducted by a multi-agency investigative team made up of members of the Denver and Aurora Police Department homicide units as well as the Denver District Attorney's Office. All critical incident investigations are actively monitored by the Office of the Independent Monitor. Throughout this briefing, portions of the body camera video and surveillance video obtained during the investigation will be shown to provide context and detail. All officers assigned to uniform patrol duties in Denver have been issued body-worn cameras. These devices are generally worn at chest level by patrol officers and are capable of recording both audio and video. Prior to being activated by the officer, the body-worn camera maintains a 30-second video buffer. Once the officer activates the camera, the 30-second buffer video is captured and the camera starts recording both audio and video. It is important to note that a body-worn camera captures a general perspective of what is in the camera's view. However, this footage may or may not be what the officers saw or perceived. At times, an officer's movement or hand positioning may inadvertently block the camera's view. Additionally, the camera may not capture light in the same way as an officer's eye. A word of caution. The images and information you are about to see may be disturbing. When a police officer uses force to arrest a suspect or defend against an attack, it can be graphic and difficult to watch. In addition, there may be strong language used by those shown in the video. Viewer discretion is advised. On Friday, June 4, 2021, at approximately 5.30 p.m., the Denver Police Department received six separate 911 calls reporting an individual was firing a gun in the area of Martin Luther King, Jr. Park at 38th Avenue and Olive Street. I'm at the corner of Olive and 38th Avenue. I think there's a gentleman shooting a gun at MLK Park. I saw the guy shooting a gun in a black cute Cherokee. I think there's a dude shooting a gun over there. He's shooting it right now. I believe it was here and shot fired up there and I got out of there. The male subject, who was later identified as 31-year-old Colton Wagner, was reportedly standing next to a jeep that was parked in the 3,800 block of Olive Street and shooting a firearm. Denver Police officers promptly responded in marked Denver Police vehicles. Upon arriving, the officers observed Mr. Wagner reaching into a gray jeep grand Cherokee that was parked on the roadway. The officers took positions behind vehicles parked on the roadway along the east side of the park, directly north of Mr. Wagner. The uniformed officers verbally identified themselves as police officers and issued multiple commands to Mr. Wagner to show his hands. Denver Police, show me your hands! When Mr. Wagner was out of the vehicle and was in full view of the officers, the officers observed he was holding a handgun. Officers gave Mr. Wagner specific direction to drop the firearm in an effort to gain his compliance and safely resolve this incident. Drop it! Drop the gun! At one point, Mr. Wagner raised the firearm and placed it to his head. Mr. Wagner did not comply with commands to drop the weapon. He briefly lowered it to his side before turning the firearm towards the uniformed officers. Mr. Wagner raised the handgun in the direction of the officers and began walking towards them. The officers feared Mr. Wagner would fire the weapon at them. In response to Mr. Wagner's actions, Corporal Matthew Van Portfleet, Corporal Christopher Williams, and Officer Kimberly Blanchard discharged their weapons multiple times. Thirty-two Baker shots fired. We need an ambulance. Code 10. Mr. Wagner was struck and fell to the ground. Following the shooting by the officers, an ambulance was called and officers formulated a plan to safely move towards Mr. Wagner. The officers utilized a slow rolling cover approach to safely secure Mr. Wagner and render medical aid. This controlled approach by officers was necessary to ensure their safety because Mr. Wagner's hands and the firearm he possessed were not immediately visible to the officers. Mr. Wagner was transported by ambulance to an area hospital where he was later pronounced deceased. Following a police shooting, any officers involved in the incident are separated and assigned to a supervisor once a situation stabilized. Involved officers remain in the company of the assigned supervisor throughout the initial investigation of the incident. Investigators located and interviewed several individuals who witnessed Mr. Wagner's actions prior to the arrival of officers. The witnesses described seeing Mr. Wagner assuming a shooter's stance before shooting at people in the park and at a nearby construction site. No one was injured by the rounds fired by Mr. Wagner. During the crime scene investigation, detectives and crime lab technicians located a .45 caliber Semeron firearm which was the firearm Mr. Wagner possessed and pointed towards officers. Additionally, .24 .45 caliber shell casings were located near the Jeep Grand Cherokee. These shell casings were forensically linked to the firearm Mr. Wagner possessed. A functionality test was conducted on the recovered firearm and it was determined the firearm was functional. A toxicology screen showed the presence of alcohol in Mr. Wagner's system. Through the investigation, it was determined the three Denver police officers fired a total of 14 rounds. 13 rounds were fired by two officers from their handguns and one round was fired by an officer using an urban rifle. The Denver District Attorney will review the details of this incident and determine if the officer's actions were in compliance with Colorado law. After the district attorney renders a decision, the Denver Police Department's Internal Affairs Bureau and conduct review bureau will complete an administrative review of this case. The details of the case will be presented to a use of force review board which is made up of community members and police command officers. This board will determine whether the actions of the Denver police officers were in compliance with the high standards expected of every Denver police officer related to policies, training and tactics. For additional information regarding the investigation of critical incidents or the Denver Police Department's use of force policy, please visit denvergov.org slash police. Thank you for taking the time to review this critical incident briefing.