Man Killed By Parole Officer ID'd

A man shot and killed in a Denver apartment Tuesday after drawing a weapon on a parole officer who recognized him as a wanted felon has been identified.

The dead man is James Stewart, 36, according to the Denver coroner's office. He was wanted in connection with some robberies, said Denver police spokeswoman Sharon Hahn.

The state parole officer, who has not been identified, recognized Stewart when he went to check on a parolee at 1746 Emerson St.

On Wednesday, a witness to the shooting told The Denver Post that the parole officer fired after ordering the man to raise his hands four times and to drop to the floor.

The apartment resident, who identified himself only as John, said he saw a man in the hallway he recognized as his parole officer.

The parole officer — with one foot inside Room 206 and one foot in the hallway — shouted out orders, John said.

"He told him, 'Get your hands up!' four times. He yelled at him to get down on the floor," John said. "I guess he wouldn't obey the order."

Stewart "produced a weapon, and that is when the parole officer shot him," Hahn said.

The officer has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation of the shooting.

The Denver Post