Denver Union President Says Department Should Apologize for Failing to Protect Police Supporters Attacked Sunday

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The president of Denver’s police union on Wednesday called on police leadership to apologize for failing to protect pro-police demonstrators who rallied in Civic Center on Sunday and were overrun by an anti-police mob.

“We as police officers, we’re not able to root for one side or the other, like the Broncos and the Raiders,” Nick Rogers, president of the Denver Police Protective Association, told radio talk show host Peter Boyles on KNUS Wednesday morning.  “We don’t get to root for one side or the other. We’re not allowed to let one side win. But guess what? We did on Sunday. And for that, we were wrong. And for that, an apology should be made to… every person who was there.”

Rogers also asserted that police were ordered to withdraw from the amphitheater where the counter-protesters and pro-police demonstrators were clashing, but that one Denver SWAT lieutenant refused to leave, the Denver Post reports.

“This lieutenant said, ‘These people are going to get killed if we don’t stay,’” Rogers said on the radio show. “So he kept his group there. And that’s the only reason this thing didn’t get worse, because somebody broke ranks. And decided not to retreat. And they stayed so they could provide some assistance.”

Denver police spokesman Doug Schepman declined to comment on Rogers’ statements Wednesday because the “chronology of the incident” is still being reviewed. He said no officers are currently facing discipline in connection with Sunday’s events. Efforts to reach Rogers on Wednesday were unsuccessful.