DENVER (AP) – Police have identified a person of interest in a shooting that happened after a Jeep drove toward protesters on a suburban Denver interstate during a demonstration over the death of a Black man stopped by police last year. Meanwhile, a man was arrested on suspicion of driving toward pro-police demonstrators in northern Colorado.
The situations both unfolded Saturday amid heightened tensions nationally at protests against racial injustice since federal officials were sent to quell demonstrations in Portland, Oregon.
In Eaton, Colorado – a town of about 4,400 people – police said an SUV sped through a park where the rally was taking place and reportedly tried to drive into or over participants. The man, whom police did not identify, was arrested after driving away. About 100 people gathered for the rally, waving flags and cheering support for law enforcement, the Greeley Tribune reported.
In Aurora, police on Sunday released photos of the man they sought in the shooting and asked the public for help identifying him. They are also asking the public for photos, videos and eyewitness accounts of the shooting as well as of the Jeep driving toward protesters on Interstate 225 Saturday during a protest over the death of Elijah McClain.
Police have previously said that it was not clear how many people opened fire. One man was shot in the leg and another suffered a grazing wound to the head in the shooting.