3 Denver sheriff’s deputies reassigned amid release probe

Sheriff Patrick Firman has said Denver made a mistake by releasing Ivan Zamarripa-Castaneda of Mexico Saturday before notifying ICE.

Associated Press

Mar. 15, 2018, 2:50 p.m.

Three Denver sheriff’s deputies have been reassigned as officials investigate why immigration authorities weren’t notified of the release of a jail inmate until an hour after he was already gone.

KMGH-TV reported that Public Safety Director Troy Riggs confirmed the reassignments Wednesday.

A spokeswoman for the sheriff’s department, Daria Serna, says it’s not uncommon to reassign deputies during internal reviews.

Sheriff Patrick Firman has said Denver made a mistake by releasing Ivan Zamarripa-Castaneda of Mexico Saturday before notifying U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Denver won’t hold inmates who have posted bond until immigration agents can pick them up unless they have a warrant. However, the sheriff’s department says its policy is to notify ICE once an inmate it’s interested in starts the release process.

That cart bridge beyond this new detention pond at City Park Golf Course could be covered with water during a 100-year flood event. Aug. 20, 2020.

When Denver flooded on Sunday, did the City Park Golf Course stormwater system work?

Mostly, but not entirely. Maybe, this time, that was a good thing.

William Wei, board member of the Colorado Asian Pacific Union, removes a plaque from a LoDo neighborhood wall on 20th Street across from Coors Field, on Monday, August 8, 2022. The marker mischaracterized a brutal 1880 assault by whites against Chinese immigrants living and working in Denver as a “Chinese Riot.” The move, led by Denver Mayor Michael Hancock’s office, comes following a formal apology earlier this year.

Denver just took down a “Chinese Riot” historical marker that was actually about an anti-Chinese riot

The city apologized earlier this year for its role in the violence, which occurred in 1880.

Clutch Exchange on Brighton Boulevard, Five Points, Sept. 25, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

Denver wants to slow catalytic converter thefts by tracking a lot more information about who’s selling catalytic converters

The goal is to give authorities a way to monitor trends and suspects.

Cars remain stranded on the new I-70 underpass through Elyria Swansea after heavy rains flooded the area on Aug. 7, 2022.

I-70 flood: Pumps didn’t turn on automatically as intended, contractor says

They say that they're still confident that the system, when finished, will handle a lot of rain in a little time.

The building and grounds that will hold the newly reopened Montbello High School is under serious construction. Aug. 19, 2022.

The Montbello High revamp is “the biggest project that DPS has built in a long time”

Students will be on campus amid construction when the school reopens in a few weeks, even if it wasn't quite what activists had in mind.

A truck is submerged in a work area next to the new I-70 underpass that flooded during heavy rain. Aug. 7, 2022.

CDOT says it’ll get to the bottom of why I-70 flooded, stranding motorists

“It was so cold."

New bike lanes on Central Park Boulevard include a cycling dog, August 5, 2022.

“It appears these lanes are for dogs riding bikes… what the heck?”

Denverite: When you want to know what the heck, we do, too.

Here’s where people have been going when they can’t afford Denver anymore (or just want out)

Affordability and crime were big reasons people said they left.

Crystal Wiggins (left) and Iman Haidar, with Society Colorado, are transforming the space at 3090 N. Downing St. in Whittier. Aug. 3, 2022.

Whittier’s former Scottish-owned Mexican restaurant turned swingers club turned gay bear bar will soon be a restaurant, cafe, coworking space, art gallery and more

The former home of the Wrangler will soon be a plant-based, health-conscious cultural hub called Society Colorado.

First Friday on Santa Fe Drive, Aug. 3, 2018. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

Things to do in Denver this weekend, Aug. 5-7

Let’s kick off the weekend with First Friday art walks or Meow Wolf’s outdoor festival Vortex!

Colfax Avenue's intersection with Yosemite Street, the border of Denver and Aurora. Aug. 4, 2022.

Verizon agrees to upgrade Denver’s 911 call routing system after Ma Kaing’s death

Family members and residents complained to law enforcement that emergency calls route to Aurora instead of Denver, which delayed vital medical treatment to Kaing after she was shot.

A rendering of a possible bus rapid transit design on Colfax. (Denver Public Works)

The upgraded Colfax bus line will be called the “Colfax Lynx”

This is the one that'd get you up and down Colfax faster -- in about 2028. It affects future projects on Federal and possibly other places, too.

A large “Now Hiring” sign fills one of the front windows of Tom’s Diner on Colfax Ave on Aug 3, 2022. The restaurant will reopen as Tom’s Starlight, a new cocktail lounge, in early September.

Tom’s Diner on Colfax will reopen next month as a cocktail bar and lounge

The new layout will be an indoor-outdoor concept that owner Tom Messina describes as “Palm Springs 70s.”

Denver Housing Authority's new apartment builing in Sun Valley. July 7, 2022.

Denver Housing Authority’s low-income-housing lottery will last two days, and it’s coming up soon

"We hope to house approximately 500 members of the community through this year’s lottery."

Zuni Plaza at 76th Avenue and Zuni Street, March 10, 2020. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

Want to sell a Denver home? It’s harder than it was a few months back — good news for buyers

Prices are around 11% higher than they were at this time last year and there are still too few homes on the market.

A tasting party for the Mercury Cafe's new menu. July 14, 2022.

Established in 1975, an oasis in the city with a devoted following got bought in 2020. What happened next was … it stayed mostly the same?

We checked out the Merc's new menu.

Denver City Council District 8 candidate Brad Revare.

Brad Revare is running for District 8 council’s seat with equity as his main goal

The northeast Denver seat will be unoccupied come April 2023, as current Councilmember Chris Herndon terms out.

Kids leap into the newly renovated Congress Park pool. Aug. 2, 2022.

Politicians threw a bash to splash at the new Congress Park Pool, but not everybody swam

"I didn't bring my trunks," Mayor Michael Hancock told the crowd. Councilman Chris Hinds couldn't find his.

The Tivoli Student Union on Denver's Auraria Campus. Sept. 30, 2020.

MSU Denver will freeze tuition to help give students more financial stability

Mandatory fees, which can change year by year, are not covered under the tuition lock.

Meow Wolf's new building has a new sign. July 29, 2021.

Meow Wolf has voluntarily recognized a workers’ union in Denver — now the sides will negotiate a contract

“Meow Wolf fully did the right thing,” said Nina Moldawsky, a creative operator and union organizer who helped lead the push. “That’s a huge, amazing win.”

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