Florida Shooters Network

1 dead after shooting at protest in Denver, police say

By Amir Vera and Hollie Silverman, CNN
Updated 3:04 PM EDT, Sun October 11, 2020

(CNN)One person died and another was taken into custody after a shooting near dueling protests in Denver on Saturday, police said.

The shooting occurred in an area near a planned police support rally and counterprotest, Denver Police Public Information Officer Ana Munoz told CNN over the phone Saturday night.

Denver police said in a tweet the suspect is Matthew Dolloff, 30, a private security guard with no affiliation with Antifa. He is being held for investigation of first-degree murder in connection with the deadly shooting, according to police. CNN has reached out to find out whether Dolloff has retained an attorney

"The private security guard was contracted through Pinkerton by 9NEWS. It has been the practice of 9NEWS for a number of months to hire private security to accompany staff at protests," KUSA reported. "DPD originally took two people into custody, and later found the second individual, a 9NEWS producer who works in the investigative unit, was not involved in the incident. The producer is no longer in police custody and is not a suspect."

Security guard suspected in fatal protest shooting not licensed in Denver, city says

Elise Schmelzer
PUBLISHED: October 11, 2020 at 11:22 a.m. | UPDATED: October 11, 2020 at 7:11 p.m.
Categories:Colorado News, Crime & Courts, Latest News, News

Lee Keltner became at least the fourth person shot during protests in Colorado so far this year when he was killed Saturday after a conflict with a private security guard in downtown Denver.

Family members identified Keltner, 49, as the man fatally shot during dueling protests Saturday in downtown Denver. Police on Sunday identified a 30-year-old man as the suspect and confirmed he was working as a private security guard at the time and not participating in the protest.

But city officials don’t believe shooting suspect Matthew Robert Dolloff was licensed to work as an armed private security guard in Denver.

Dolloff remained in jail Sunday without bond on suspicion of first-degree murder in the shooting, jail records show.

He was working as a contracted security guard for Denver television station 9News when the shooting occurred, the television station has said.

A sequence of photos of the incident captured by a Denver Post photographer appears to show Keltner slapping Dolloff in the face before the two back away from each other. The next image shows Dolloff shooting at Keltner — a shell casing is seen being ejected from his handgun — as Keltner fires a cloud of pepper spray at Dolloff.

Police detained Dolloff and a 9News employee at the scene, but released the station employee after he gave a statement.

The man who died has not been named publicly by officials, but his son identified him as Lee Keltner in an interview with The Post on Sunday.

Lee Keltner, whose son identified him as the victim of the fatal shooting during dueling protests in downtown Denver on Oct. 10, 2020, was photographed at his home-based shop for Crossfire Hats in Brighton on Jan. 7, 2015, for a business Q&A in The Denver Post.

Keltner, 49, was a Navy veteran who ran a hat-making business in the Denver area for many years, his son, Johnathon Keltner, said.

“He wasn’t a part of any group,” Johnathon Keltner said. “He was there to rally for the police department and he’d been down there before rallying for the police department.”

Carol Keltner, who said she lives in Arkansas and identified herself as Lee Keltner’s mother, posted a message on the Northeast Arkansas Tea Party Group on Facebook announcing his death at the Denver rally. “He was murdered because he backed the police,” she wrote.

At least three others have been shot during protests in Colorado this year. Two were injured in a shooting during a protest in Aurora and another man was shot in the head during a protest in Alamosa.

A Facebook page with Dolloff’s full name and a photo that appears to match his jail booking photo shows that he worked on a ranch on the Eastern Plains where he raised sheep and dogs. Court records show Dolloff had no previous criminal history beyond traffic incidents.

Pinkerton, the security company 9News said it contracted with for the protest, did not reply to questions from The Post sent Sunday morning.

While Pinkerton had an active license to employ security guards in Denver, officials have no record that Dolloff had the required city license to work as a private security guard, said Eric Escudero, spokesman for the Denver Department of Excise and Licenses.

“We do not currently have an active license and have never had an active license for anybody with that name,” he said. “If he was operating as a security guard, he was in violation of the law.”

The cities of Denver, Colorado Springs and Glendale require private security guards to obtain city-issued licenses, though there are no statewide license requirements. Denver’s licensing process requires guards to complete 16 hours of training by an “eligible training provider” before working in the city. Further training is required before a guard can carry a firearm during work or dress in plainclothes.

Someone working as private security without the required license can face up to a $999 fine and a year in jail, Escudero said. If a registered security company employs guards who are not licensed, the company can also face fines and the suspension or revocation of their license.

A job listing by Pinkerton for a part-time security job in Denver states applicants must have a high school diploma, a concealed carry license and a merchant guard license, which is offered by the city.

The investigation into Dolloff’s and Pinkerton’s licensing is ongoing, Escudero said.

The shooting took place as two opposing groups demonstrated in Civic Center on Saturday. Dozens of people gathered for a “Patriot Rally,” which was protested by dozens of people who attended an event called a “BLM-Antifa Soup Drive.” The two groups yelled at each other prior to the shooting, but police kept them separated.

John “Tig” Tiegen — an El Paso County resident, conservative public speaker and one of the organizers of the Patriot Rally event — posted a statement on Sunday offering condolences to the family of the victim.

“It’s tragic that Americans find themselves in danger just by coming together and showing support for their country,” he wrote on Instagram.

Rumors spread across the internet after the shooting about Dolloff’s potential political affiliation, in part because of a reporting error by The Post that was corrected. While Dolloff’s social media does criticize President Donald Trump and includes photos of the 2012 Occupy Denver protests, he does not claim affiliation with any organization. Denver police on Saturday announced the shooting suspect had “no affiliation with Antifa.”

“Immediately following the incident, rumors were circulating regarding the suspect’s affiliation with a particular group,” Denver police said in a statement Sunday. “Investigators are unaware of whether the suspect is personally affiliated with any political organization.”

Security guard jailed in deadly shooting at Denver protests
yesterday

DENVER (AP) — A private security guard working for a local TV station was jailed for investigation of first-degree murder in the deadly shooting of another man during dueling right- and left-wing protests in downtown Denver, police said Sunday.

Matthew Dolloff, 30, was taken into custody in connection with a clash that took place Saturday afternoon in Civic Center Park.

A man participating in what was billed a “Patriot Rally” slapped and sprayed Mace at a man who appeared to be Dolloff, the Denver Post reported, based on its photographs from the scene. The man identified by the newspaper as Dolloff drew a gun from his waistband and shot the other person, according to the Denver Post journalist who witnessed the episode.

The shooting victim was not named by authorities and died at a nearby hospital. But his son identified the man on Sunday to the Denver Post as Lee Keltner, a 49-year-old U.S. Navy veteran who operated a hat-making business in the Denver area.

“He wasn’t a part of any group,” Johnathon Keltner told the newspaper. “He was there to rally for the police department and he’d been down there before rallying for the police department.”

A woman who said she was the victim’s mother, Carol Keltner, wrote in a social media post that her son was killed after being shot in the head.

A decision on any charges will be up to the Denver District Attorney’s Office, police said. A spokesperson for District Attorney Beth McCann said Sunday that the arrest affidavit in the case remained sealed and referred further questions to the police.

It was not immediately clear if Dolloff had an attorney.

Police Division Chief Joe Montoya said two guns were found at the scene, as well as a Mace can.

The shooting occurred beneath a city surveillance camera, and police said they have footage of the incident, KUSA-TV reported.

KUSA said it had hired the guard through the Pinkerton security firm. “It has been the practice of 9NEWS for a number of months to hire private security to accompany staff at protests,” the station said.

The right-wing Patriot Rally was one of two demonstrations happening at about the same time that drew hundreds of people to the park. Protesters at a left-wing “BLM-Antifa Soup Drive” nearby held up flags and signs railing against Nazis and white supremacists.

Security guards in Denver are supposed to be licensed, with additional endorsements needed to carry a firearm or operate in plainclothes, according to rules for the industry adopted by the city in 2018.

In photos from Saturday’s shooting, Dolloff did not appear to be in uniform. His name does not show up on a city-run database that lists several thousand licensed security guards.

Representatives of Pinkerton did not immediately return email and telephone messages for comment.

Denver shooting at protest leaves 1 dead; news station's private security guard in custody

The man who was shot was part of a pro-police "Patriot Rally," a report said

By Paul Best | Fox News

Denver protest stand-off leads to deadly shooting.

Denver Police say the suspected gunman is a private security guard; Fox News correspondent Christina Coleman reports.

One person was shot and killed, and a local news station's private security guard was in custody Saturday evening after protests between opposing groups turned violent in Denver's Civic Center Park, city police said.

The man who was shot was part of a pro-police "Patriot Rally," according to a report.

"Further investigation has determined the suspect is a private security guard with no affiliation with Antifa," the Denver Police Department wrote in a Twitter message.

KUSA-TV, a local Denver news station also known as 9NEWS, reported that a suspect in police custody was a private security guard hired by the station.

"The private security guard was contracted through Pinkerton by 9NEWS," the news outlet wrote. "It has been the practice of 9NEWS for a number of months to hire private security to accompany staff at protests."

A KUSA producer also was initially in custody, but has since been released.

Video of the incident shows one shot being fired. Denver police then quickly cordon off the scene, giving medical aid to the victim and arresting a suspect.

"There was a verbal altercation that transpired. A firearm was discharged," Joe Montoya, Denver Police chief of investigations said. "An individual was shot and later pronounced deceased. There were two guns recovered at the scene."

The shooting victim had participated in a pro-police rally, the Denver Post reported.

"The incident occurred after a man participating in what was billed a 'Patriot Rally' sprayed mace at another man. That man then shot the other individual with a handgun near the courtyard outside the Denver Art Museum," the newspaper reported.

Denver police said they had one suspect in custody and were investigating the incident as a homicide.

Police had a large presence at the protests to keep opposing protesters calm.

"There was a large presence because we had two groups with opposing views, and we know that can always get very tense," Montoya said. "There’s always potential for violence, we understand that. We had a large contingent there to try to watch the egress of one group, so that the other group wouldn’t intermingle with them, so that’s the reason for the large presence there."

One side of the protests was characterized as a "Black Lives Matter Anti-Fascist Soup Drive" on Facebook. Some of the groups attending were Denver Communists, Colorado Socialist Revolution, Anon Resistance Movement, W.I.T.C.H. Denver, H.O.E.S (Help on Every Street), and Front Range Mutual Aid Network.

On the other side, pro-police groups organized a "Patriot Muster," local news outlet Westword reported.

“We scheduled our action after learning that the militia-fascists had called a ‘patriot muster’ against the Black Lives Matter movement, anti-fascists and Marxists,” a representative for Denver Communists told Westword. “That’s us — guilty as charged and happy to oblige with our presence.”

A Security Guard Hired By A News Outlet Is Being Investigated For Murder After A Shooting At Protests In Denver

Denver police said Matthew Dolloff was being held in connection with the fatal shooting of a man in Denver on Saturday.

Amber Jamieson
BuzzFeed News Reporter
Updated on October 11, 2020, at 4:52 p.m. ET
Posted on October 11, 2020, at 2:18 p.m. ET

A private security guard hired by a news outlet is in police custody after allegedly shooting and killing a protester during a far-right "Patriot Rally" and a left-wing counterprotest in Denver on Saturday.

Denver Police said Sunday that 30-year-old Matthew Dolloff is "being held for investigation of first degree murder" in connection with the shooting.

The incident occurred during two heated dueling protests, the "Patriot Rally"— in support of police — and a counterprotest — "BLM-Antifa Soup Drive" — that was planned in response to the rally.

As the protests were ending, a "verbal altercation" took place between the suspected shooter and another man near Denver's art museum, according to Denver Police's Division Chief of Investigations, Joe Montoya.

"A firearm was discharged, an individual was shot and later pronounced deceased," said Montoya. Montoya said two guns were recovered at the scene but police have not confirmed whose weapons they were.

The identity of the victim has not yet been released by police, but a woman who said she was his mother identified him as Lee Keltner on a Facebook group for the Northeast Arkansas Tea Party.

Another woman who said she was friends with Lee Keltner also posted about his death, calling him "an amazing friend, husband and dad."

In 2015, the Denver Post profiled Keltner, who ran a business making cowboy hats. "When I put a hat on someone who has been looking for the perfect hat for some time, and the hat just fits right, and it looks right, and they know it’s finally right, they just light up," he told the Denver Post.

Photos taken Saturday by a Denver Post photographer who witnessed the shooting, show a physical altercation between the two men.

The photos showed the victim spraying mace at Dolloff, who had his gun drawn. Dolloff then shot him, and was detained by police moments after.

Montoya said Saturday that police had not yet confirmed the affiliation of the victim nor the suspect.

However, after several right-wing individuals and groups claimed, without evidence, that the shooter was affiliated with antifa, Denver Police tweeted that "further investigation has determined the suspect is a private security guard with no affiliation with Antifa."

Local TV station KUSA, whose digital site is 9News, confirmed that Dolloff had been hired through Pinkerton, a security company, by the news outlet to protect their news staff at the protest. He did not appear to be easily identifiable as a security guard based on the photos of the incident.

"It has been the practice of 9NEWS for a number of months to contract private security to accompany staff at protests," 9News said in its report. The report also noted that one of their producers had been temporarily detained by police after the shooting but was later released.

9News did not immediately respond to BuzzFeed News' request for comment. Pinkerton confirmed to BuzzFeed News that Dolloff was a "contractor agent" and that it provides armed services, but would not expand on Dolloff's past work with the company citing client confidentiality.

Photos show the victim wearing a t-shirt that appears to match a bikers' meme that reads "BLM your fucking right biker's lives matter."

A video taken immediately before the shooting shows the victim standing with a group of right-wing protesters who are engaging in a verbal altercation with a different man who is wearing a "Black Guns Matter" t-shirt.

"Mace me motherfucker," the man wearing the "Black Guns Matter" t-shirt is heard saying in the video. The victim is seen walking away from that man, and seconds later, a gunshot is heard and the victim can be seen falling to the ground.

Patriot's Rally organizer John Tiegen responded to the shooting in an Instagram post on Sunday.

"It’s still unclear if the victim had been at the rally or just in the vicinity," Tiegen wrote. "We must continue to fight for the principles our country was founded on and not be scared to call out their radical leftist ideology and agenda."

Dolloff frequently posted online about his progressive politics, which in our hyper-partisan culture will inevitably be amplified and presented, especially by the far-right, as evidence of some sort of motivation.

But authorities have not provided a motive in the shooting and have made a point to say that Dolloff, who was at the protest as 9News’ security guard, was not affiliated with antifa, as many far-right commentators immediately and without evidence assumed on social media after the shooting.

The President and far-right figures often immediately ascribe any violence at protests to “antifa.” Antifa is not an organization, but a series of loosely-defined groups of left-wing, anti-fascist activists who have, at times, engaged in violent tactics during protests.

But the right uses the term as a catchall for all protesters calling for racial justice as a way to discredit their message. Far often than not, violence at nationwide protests has been instigated and carried out by extremists, often on the far right.

According to Facebook posts that match public records for the full name and address for Dolloff, he and his wife run Lavender Moon Farm, a free range turkey farm in Elizabeth, Colorado.

"We not only raise Turkeys but also Shetland Sheep, Goats, Chickens, bee's, and Great Pyrenees Dogs," reads an archived version of the farm's website, which has been deleted. The farm's contact information on its Facebook page was updated and removed early Sunday.

According to his personal Facebook page, Dolloff is studying at the University of Denver and describes himself as an atheist and a Democrat.

His most recent public post referenced the death of Michael Brooks, a progressive commentator who often appeared on The Young Turks, with Dolloff writing "#leftisbest." "The State of the Union is depressed, exhausted, and broke," he posted on Jan. 18, 2018. Dolloff posted photos from a Bernie Sanders rally in 2016, and an October 2011 Occupy Denver protest.