Six bystanders who were injured during a police shooting in Denver in 2022 are set to receive nearly $20 million in damages, as announced by their legal team on Friday. A jury awarded them $19.7 million following a civil lawsuit against the Denver Police Department concerning the events of July 17, 2022.
The case involved Officer Brandon Ramos, who had earlier pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault. As a result, he was sentenced to probation and lost his certification to work as a police officer. Ramos resigned from his position in February 2024. A spokesperson for the Denver Police Department chose not to comment on the jury’s decision.
During a news conference on January 4, 2023, Bailey Alexander stood with Willis Small IV and Yekalo Wedewihet, three of the six individuals impacted by the incident on July 17, 2022, as they addressed the media.
At the time of the shooting, Ramos was part of a gun violence prevention team operating in Denver’s Lower Downtown area, a region known for Coors Field and its vibrant nightlife. The incident occurred when Ramos and two other officers fired at a man named Jordan Waddy after he brandished a handgun.
Bailey Alexander, center, speaks alongside Willis Small IV, left, and Yekalo Wedewihet, three of the six bystanders injured during a police shooting on July 17, 2022, during a news conference on Jan. 4, 2023. (AP)
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.
Officer Brandon Ramos pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge. (Denver Police Department Facebook)
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.”
Officer Brandon Ramos resigned from the police department in February 2024. (Chet Strange/Getty Images)
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.”
