The St. Francis Center will hold a memorial next week for James Farmer Jr., who reportedly was killed while attempting to protect two teenagers in the dead of night in downtown Denver.
Farmer was asleep in his car last Friday when a man started attacking two teenagers outside, according to KDVR. Witnesses said that the attacker turned on Farmer after he attempted to intervene, KDVR reported.
“James put his life on the line to save the life of someone he had never met and never will,” said Tom Luehrs, director of the St. Francis Center, in a news release. The organization, which provides services to homeless people, described Farmer as part of its community.
The memorial service will be at the center, 2323 Curtis St., on Tuesday, June 27, at 10:15 a.m.
On the night of the alleged murder, officers arrived to find the teenage boy and girl near 24th and Curtis streets, one with "significant facial injuries." A witness directed the officers a block down the street, where they found a man standing over Farmer and striking him repeatedly in the chest, the affidavit states.
"I did it, I did it," the man was shouting, according to the officer. The suspect briefly struggled with police, according to the district attorney's office. Dejuan Stamps, 28, has been charged with first-degree murder and several counts of assault in the case. The affidavit does not state what may have prompted the suspect to attack either of the victims.
Farmer had been living in downtown Denver in a Saab that he owned, his family reportedly told KDVR. He had moved to Denver for work and was sending money home to his grandchildren. The U.S. Army veteran had "planned to return to Seattle in September to buy a home and marry his fiancee," KDVR reported.
Luehrs described Farmer as "a good man who cared about people. Our whole community is shocked and saddened by this senseless act of violence. Coming together to honor James’ life will hopefully be a cathartic experience for us all, and help us start to heal.”
