Man Shot By Parole Officer In Denver

A state parole officer opened fired on a man in a home on Emerson Street near 17th Avenue Tuesday night.

The circumstances of the 9 p.m. shooting were still sketchy as police swarmed into investigate and find witnesses.

"We're still trying to determine who saw what, who heard what," Denver Police spokesman Sonny Jackson said. "It's still early to tell exactly what happened here."

It was not clear whether the man shot was a parolee. Jackson could not immediately release the man's name, but said he was taken to Denver Health Medical Center in critical condition.

He said more details would be released Wednesday morning.

Neighbors lingering behind the crime tape at each of the block were stunned, but said they knew nothing.

"This used to be a rough neighborhood, but it's really bounced back," said Bobbie Smith, who rents part of a home on the block. "I hate to think it's a law officer that pulled the trigger."

Many of the older Victorian-style homes in the neighborhood have been bought and remodeled by young families in recent years, she said. Smith said the home where the man was shot had been cut into apartments, but she heard nothing nor saw anything unusual before police descended on the block.

The Denver Post