DA: Denver Police Officer Was Legally Justified In Shooting Of Raul Rosas-Zarsosa In May
DENVER (CBS4) - Denver's district attorney released a report on Tuesday stating that the officer-involved shooting of a 52-year-old on Federal Boulevard in the spring was legally justified. Raul Rosas-Zarsosa was holding a utility knife and advancing towards police when he was killed by a Denver officer in May.
District Attorney Beth McCann said that after officers arrived at South Federal Boulevard at Harvard Avenue on May 19 they tried to stop Rosas-Zarsosa with non-lethal methods and get him to drop the knife. They fired pepper balls at him and then a taser, but that misfired.
Rosas-Zarsosa kept coming at the officers with the knife and wasn't deterred by either method.
When he got within approximately 12 feet, an officer shot and killed him.
Authorities said Rosas-Zarsosa was 100 feet away when officers first encountered him. In slightly more than 30 seconds he got to within 12 feet of them. They said he had cut his throat with the knife before officers began ordering him to drop it.
