Denver Woman Sues Police Over House Fire During Standoff

A woman has filed a lawsuit against the Denver Police Department one year after her home was destroyed by fire reportedly started by a SWAT team attempting to arrest her 35-year-old son, Joseph Quintana.

According to the Denver Channel , Quintana allegedly shot two Denver police officers during the standoff before SWAT officers attempted to make entry into the residence with the assistance of a distraction device.

The Denver Police Department last year paid the home insurance deductible of the woman—identified as Mary Quintana—while insisting that in so doing the agency admitted no fault in the incident.

The lawsuit alleges that police prevented Denver firefighters from accessing the burning structure to fight the blaze and that the distraction devices used by the police were for outdoor use only.