John Pacheaco Jr. (2020)
Overview
On October 31, 2020, Glendale Colorado Police Department officers Neal McCormick and Chandler Phillips attempted to contact John Pacheaco Jr., who was asleep in his running vehicle. When Pacheaco awoke, he drove forward and hit a parked patrol car. When the truck was shifted into reverse, the officers fired. Pacheaco was struck three times, and died of his injuries.[1]
McCormick fired seven rounds and Phillips fired 12; three struck Pacheaco.[2] A toxicology report determined that methamphetamine was in Pacheaco’s blood.[1]
Denver police gave about a three-minute news conference near the scene of the shooting a short time after it happened.
Denver Police Department, Denver District Attorney’s Office, and Aurora and Glendale police conducted investigations.[3]
On December 2, 2020, both officers were interviewed by the District Attorney's office. It was noted that the videos did not seem to match McCormick's recollection of events.[2]
On May 12, 2021, Denver District Attorney Beth McCann declined to press charges against the officers, citing that the "use of force was reasonable and necessary" due to the danger of the moving vehicle.[2] [1][4]
On September 10, 2021, a lawsuit was filed on the behalf of the mother and estate against McCormick and Phillips, claiming the officers were "dishonest in their statements to investigators regarding the shooting" [4]
The family's lawsuit was settled.[5]
Video
Glendale police do not wear body cameras.[1]
Surveillance camera from a nearby business
The family's attorney stated that additional videos were submitted to the DA’s office.[1]
Officers Involved
Official Reports
- District Attorney's Investigation of the shooting death of John Pacheaco
Additional Sources
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Kieran Nicholson, No criminal charges for two Glendale officers who fatally shot a man in a truck, Denver Post, 2021-05-12
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Beth McCann, Investigation of the shooting death of John Pacheaco, Denver District Attorney, 2021-05-12
- ↑ Kieran Nicholson, A week after Glendale police fatally shoot a man, scant information is released, Denver Post, 2020-11-06
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Kieran Nicholson, Lawsuit filed against Glendale officers who shot, killed man in pickup, Denver Post, 2021-09-11
- ↑ Michael Roberts, Hush Money? Glendale Quietly Settles Historic Case About Police Killing, Westword, 2022-08-31
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