The knife-wielding man who was shot and killed by Denver police on June 16 is in fact a man, but police have identified him as a woman.
The fatal incident occurred when officers were called to the scene following a report of a person armed with a knife. Are standing At an intersection in downtown Denver, Colorado.
Officers initially demanded that the man, reportedly a woman, drop the knife, but he refused and reportedly became aggressive towards officers, despite officers first attempting to use a Taser, a non-lethal means, to stop him.
the man Continue approach Officers responded by opening fire, and Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas said at the time, “It is my belief that our officers perceived a significant threat and responded accordingly.”
The man who died has been identified as 52-year-old Miguel Tapia, and the police chief confirmed he was transgender.
“It did turn out that the individual was transgender and was believed to be homeless,” he confirmed.
“But that didn’t influence our decision. What influenced our decision was that the individual had a knife and was moving aggressively towards the officers. I believe the officers tried to stop him using less lethal means to no avail, and when that didn’t work they had to switch to more lethal means,” he added.
Breaking News: Anti-Transgender Violence on the Rise
Denver Police confirmed that the person who lunged at officers with a knife was a man posing as a woman.
The ministry also confirmed that a person named Miguel Tapia may be in the country illegally. pic.twitter.com/wZDzmCsDrj
— Libs on TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 25, 2024
The investigation is ongoing.
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