Denver protesters demand justice in fatal shooting by police
By Keith Coffman DENVER (Reuters) - About three dozen demonstrators shouting "Cowards shoot girls" rallied at the district attorney's office in Denver on Tuesday, protesting the fatal shooting by police of a teenager suspected of driving a stolen car and running into an officer. A local prosecutor met briefly with some members of the crowd, a mix of young people and clergy, in a hallway outside the eighth-floor district attorney's office and promised a thorough investigation of Monday's shooting. Authorities have not yet released the name or age of the slain driver, who they said appeared to be a teenager. But a protester named Jose Castaneda, who identified himself as her first cousin and classmate, gave her first name as Jessica and said she was 16 years old. "I hope they achieve justice," Castaneda, 16, said when asked what he hoped to accomplish by meeting with prosecutors. He then stormed off in anger. Outside, protesters chanted, "Cowards shoot girls" and carried signs with such slogans as "Your badge is not a license to kill" and "Don't shooting unarmed teens." The rally in Denver was the latest in a wave of demonstrations across the country in recent months protesting incidents widely seen as an indiscriminate use of lethal force by law enforcement, often against minorities. The teenager shot in Denver is believed to be Hispanic, but the race of the police involved was not immediately known. Denver Police Chief Robert White told reporters Monday that the shooting unfolded when an officer responded to reports of a suspicious vehicle in an alley in the city's Park Hill neighborhood. A check of the license plate determined the car was stolen and he called for backup, White said. As two officers then approached the car, its driver hit one of them with the vehicle, and both police officers opened fire. The driver was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Four other youths in the car with her were unhurt. They were taken into custody but later released with no charges filed, police said. The officer struck by the car suffered a possible broken leg. Both officers were placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation. (Reporting by Keith Coffman in Denver; Editing by Steve Gorman and Doina Chiacu)
