Denver police fatally shoot man on Colorado Boulevard

Police said he was armed.

A Denver police cruiser parked on Colorado Boulevard near the scene of a cop shooting on Tuesday, Sept. 15, in Denver. (Esteban L. Hernandez/Denverite)

A Denver police cruiser parked on Colorado Boulevard near the scene of a cop shooting on Tuesday, Sept. 15, in Denver. (Esteban L. Hernandez/Denverite)

(Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

staff photo

UPDATE: The man fatally shot by police was identified by the medical examiner as Mac McPherson, 22. McPherson was pronounced dead at Denver Health. His cause of death was from multiple gunshot wounds and the manner of death is homicide.


Denver police officers on Tuesday night shot and killed a man they said was carrying a gun on Colorado Boulevard near Iliff Avenue.

Denver Division Chief Ron Thomas said officers responded to reports of a man with a gun on Colorado Boulevard around 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday. He said officers saw a man matching the description of the reports near the 2400 block of S. Colorado Blvd. shortly after arriving.

Thomas said cops contacted the man and “quickly saw a gun protruding from a pocket or his waistband.” He said the man ignored officers’ commands and drew his gun, leading officers to shoot him. He said the man was taken to a hospital, where he died. Thomas described the man as white, but his identify was not released.

Police taped off several blocks on Colorado Boulevard on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning while investigators were on scene. Thomas did not say how many officers were involved in the shooting.

It’s the third time in less than a week that Denver police officers have fatally shot someone they said was armed. Officers fatally shot Antonio Blackbear on Sept. 9, while a man who has not yet been identified was fatally shot on Sept. 12.

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