“A security guard who allegedly killed a man near dueling protests in downtown Denver last weekend will be charged with second-degree murder,” NBC News reported on Thursday, October 15, 2020. “The charges against Matthew Dolloff, 30, in the fatal shooting of Lee Keltner, 49, will be filed in Denver District Court on Monday, the city’s district attorney’s office said in a statement.” Read story here.
No explanation of the charges was given, so I can only guess that the Denver district attorney is theorizing the security guard shot the armed criminal assaulting him to retaliate for the assault and not to defend himself or protect the TV producer the armed criminal had just told, “I’m going to f*** you up.” Also, prosecutors often overcharge in order to give themselves bargaining leverage in plea negotiations.
I’m not saying Dolloff will get off. He might have been too trigger-happy. Or maybe the D.A. has evidence that he instigated the confrontation in some way. In Colorado, instigators generally can’t claim self-defense. But even in that event it looks more like manslaughter than murder.
Photo: Most murder victims don’t look like this
Will Doloff have a jury trial?
He’s entitled to a jury trial.