Jury awards $19.7M to innocent bystanders shot by Denver police officer

Six bystanders injured during a 2022 police shooting in Denver will share nearly $20 million in damages after a jury ruled in their favor, their attorneys announced on Friday. 

The $19.7 million award stems from a civil lawsuit filed against the Denver Police Department over the July 17, 2022, shooting. 

Officer Brandon Ramos earlier pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault, receiving probation and losing his certification to serve as a police officer. 

Ramos resigned in February 2024, according to a Denver Police spokesperson, who declined to comment on the verdict.

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At the time of the shooting, Ramos was assigned to a gun violence prevention team that patrolled Denver’s Lower Downtown neighborhood – home to Coors Field and a nightlife corridor – when he and two fellow officers opened fire on a man, later identified as Jordan Waddy, after he had drawn a handgun. 

The other two officers did not face charges in connection with the shooting. Waddy survived the injuries he sustained in the incident.

A grand jury found that Ramos was not in immediate danger since Waddy did not turn and face him. Jurors concluded that the officer failed to account for the large crowd standing behind Waddy. 

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The victims included one who was shot in the arm and required surgery, another who was struck in the back by a bullet that exited through her arm and a third who was grazed on the foot. 

The plaintiffs’ attorneys said in a joint statement that the jury’s award for damages “recognizes the suffering that these six victims endured at the hands of an officer who vowed to serve and protect.”

Attorney Omeed Azmoudeh said the award sends “a clear message about police conduct” and that bystanders “are not just a backdrop that you can’t think about.” 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.