Man Describes Off-Duty Officer Firing At Him
GOLDEN, Colo. (CBS4)- Golden police say it will be several days before any charges will be filed, after a bizarre confrontation that ended with shots fired in Golden on Sunday.
"The bullet is actually lodged in the frame of my bike right now. My bike is completely totaled," said Denver resident Jeremy Golden.
Sunday just before noon, Golden says he pulled over his motorcycle near 6th Avenue and 19th Street in Golden to confront a driver after an altercation on the road.
Golden police say off-duty Central City Police Officer Patric Stanton had seen the road rage incident and called 9-1-1, asking if he should intervene.
He ran to the scene before getting an answer.
"When he jumped out of the vehicle he had his gun drawn. No badge," Golden told CBS4's Tom Mustin. "I demanded more than five times- screaming at the top of my lungs- 'Show me a badge, show me a badge!' "
Golden says after hearing news of several recent police impersonators, he wasn't taking any chances.
"When he showed it to me he was covering up everything. I couldn't read anything," said Golden.
He then ran to his bike and saw the officer fire his gun.
Golden says the shot sent metal fragments into his hands, "I had my hands on the handle bars. He discharged his weapon right in front of the gas tank. Debris caught my hand, yeah."
Officers with Golden police arrived and ordered both men to the ground. The other driver involved answered questions and then left the scene. That driver has not been identified.
Stanton's neighbor of four years, Andrea Shelmidine, says the officer is a good man and she believes he would not have fired his weapon without a reason.
"It would definitely be warranted," she said.
As police try and sort out the details of a complicated case, Golden says he looks forward to telling the full story in court, "When it goes to trial that's where I want to put my words out."
Golden police say they're still trying to figure out what happened and whether any charges will be filed.
The Jefferson County Critical Response Investigation Team is also investigating because an officer was involved. Stanton is on paid administrative leave until the investigation is complete.
Tom Mustin is CBS4's Weekend Anchor. He has been with CBS4 since 2002, and is always looking for great story ideas. Follow Tom on Twitter @TomCBS4.
