3 Officers Cleared In Deadly Shooting Of Colorado Man
PARKER, Colo. (CBS4) - Three police officers have been cleared of wrongdoing in the deadly shooting of a man in Parker on Nov. 4.
Michael Marin, 35, of Montrose, was shot 15 times -- in the back, buttocks, chest, arms and lower leg, according to the office of District Attorney George Brauchler.
A resident of the Creekside at Parker Condominiums called police, saying an unknown man in an orange jacket had knocked on her door numerous times in an hour. The complex is located on Twenty Mile Road near Pony Express Drive. The woman had taken a photo of the man and reported that he was associated with a black SUV in the lot.
READ: District Attorney's Report Of Officer-Involved Shooting Of Michael Wayne Marin
Officers with the Parker Police Department responded and found a black Chevrolet Tahoe Z71 that was reported stolen out of Mesa County. Officer Dave Rosselot observed a mobile gun safe on the center console, according to the district attorney's office.
Shortly after that, Officer Rosselot spotted a man wearing an orange jacket and ordered him to stop and show his hands.
The man, later identified as Michael Marin, ran off and Officer Rosselot and Officer Eric Graham chased him on foot.
A third officer, Bradford Blankston, got into Graham's marked patrol car and drove ahead of the other officers. Another officer, Gregory Moreno, arrived in a separate marked patrol car.
Officer Moreno reported seeing Marin run right in front of him and stop at an entrance to the breezeway for building 10841.
Officer Blankston said he saw Marin point a gun at Officer Moreno and ordered him to "drop the gun!"
Officer Moreno said he clearly recalled "looking down the barrel" of Marin's handgun and believed Marin was going to shoot him.
Officer Moreno fired his deputy weapon at Marin five times but Marin ran into the breezeway and crouched down.
After Marin refused orders to get on the ground, Officer Moreno fired three more rounds.
Officer Bankston arrived and stood next to Officer Moreno.
Investigators say Marin stood up with what appeared to be a black handgun in his right hand.
Offers Moreno and Blankston both fired additional rounds at Marin, according to the report. Body cam video from the officers showed a handgun within Marin's reach.
Officer Graham arrived at that point. According to the report, Marin tried to sit up and Officers Moreno and Graham fired additional shots at Marin.
During the shooting, bullets flew into the home of one resident who sat inside.
"Bullets went through the door," explained Scotty Schwegel, who lives directly upstairs from the unit struck by gunfire.
"It was about 15 shots," Schwegel told CBS4's Melissa Garcia after the shooting. "It seemed like they kept getting closer, so that's when we moved into the bedroom."
Fortunately, no residents were injured.
After Marin stopped moving, the officers started CPR and applied an automatic defibrillator.
When they searched Marin, police found what they believed to be a crack pipe and a syringe full of liquid. He later tested positive for amphetamine and methamphetamine.
Marin died at the hospital.
The gun found near Marin was later determined to be an Iver Johnson TP .22 semiautomatic pistol loaded with six rounds, according to the report. It does not appear he ever fired the gun.
The DA's office determined that officers Moreno, Bankston and Graham were justified in using deadly force because they reasonable believed their lives, or the lives of others, were in danger.
Although officers did not know Marin's criminal history at the time of the shooting, police later learned that Marin had multiple outstanding warrants for charges including aggravated robbery and possession of dangerous weapons.
