Aurora Police, Protesters Disagree On Events Leading Up To Shooting During March On I-225
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4)- Hundreds of protesters blocked Interstate 225 on Saturday, the latest in a series of protests that have caused disruption and destruction in Aurora so far this summer. What followed turned out badly but could have been worse.
In an interview, Aurora Police Deputy Chief Harry Glidden was asked by CBS4's Rick Sallinger, "Were the protesters violating the law by going onto the interstate?"
RELATED: Jeep Speeds Through Protesters On I-225 In Aurora, 2 Shot When Protester Fires Gun
Glidden replied, "Yes they were. It's illegal to take over the roadway and shut down traffic."
He said they could not stop or arrest the protesters due to the size of the crowd. There is still no explanation from police as to how a Jeep got onto the highway which drove through the crowd.
Protest organizers including Candace Bailey are blaming the police, "You let these people onto the highway. We don't need to talk to you. You set up a murderous situation and let them go."
Police distributed a photo of a man who is believed to have pulled out a gun and fired shots, accidentally striking two protesters. They say he has now been identified through citizen tips.
RELATED: 2 Shot During Protest On I-225: Aurora Police Release Photos Of Person Of Interest
Glidden said that act was the most reckless thing he has seen in a long while, "This guy pulls out a gun and shoots at the driver of that vehicle. I can't imagine what would've happened if he had killed him."
Bailey looked at the incident quite differently, "He injured two people trying to stop the truck but how many lives did he save trying to stop the truck?"
The crowd later moved to the Aurora Municipal Center where some turned their wrath on the Municipal Court Building.
The protest organizers claim their group was not responsible for that.
Several judges' chambers were damaged when rocks were thrown through windows and fireworks shot inside, which started small blazes. Court was in session as usual on Monday.
