A Denver man who was restrained by police after a disturbance near East Colfax died at a hospital Tuesday evening, officials said, setting off a critical-incident investigation and stirring fresh scrutiny of police encounters in the city.
According to KDVR, Denver police said officers handcuffed and subdued the man during the encounter, then called EMS after he continued to struggle. Police reported that evidence showed the man was struck in the head and upper body before being pulled from a car. He was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, and investigators say the inquiry is still in its early stages.
Who Is Investigating
City officials say the case is being treated as a critical incident with outside involvement, and the Denver Office of the Independent Monitor will provide oversight, according to the Denver Police Department. That kind of oversight is standard in deaths that occur in connection with police custody, intended to add a layer of transparency while outside agencies handle the technical investigative work.
Which Agencies Are Involved
A release cited by KDVR says the critical-incident probe involves the Colorado State Patrol, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, and the Denver Police Major Crimes Division. Officials have not released the man's name and say they will hold back additional details while detectives continue collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses.
Medical Examiner And Next Steps
The Denver Office of the Medical Examiner will determine the cause and manner of death in this case. The office notes in its public materials that autopsies and toxicology testing can take anywhere from several days to multiple weeks. The Medical Examiner's findings, combined with the results of the multi-agency investigation, typically guide any decision prosecutors make about potential criminal charges.
What To Expect
City officials say they plan to release updates as the review moves forward and urged anyone with information to contact investigators or the media relations team at the Denver Police Department. In previous custody-related investigations, that combination of multi-agency review and independent oversight has often meant a slower public rollout of information until key evidence and medical findings are in.
