PRESS CONFERENCE: Update Regarding July 5, 2026, Officer-Involved Shooting Investigation

Duration: 9:16 1541 transcript words EN summary

Video summary

On Sunday, July 5, 2026, Denver police officers responded to a harassment call at the intersection of 51st and Clarkson regarding an individual who had been repeatedly returning to a residence and disturbing its occupants. Although officers had visited the location on several prior occasions where the suspect would typically leave before their arrival only to return shortly after they departed, this time the situation escalated rapidly upon contact. When officers approached the subject matching the 911 caller's description, an officer observed that the individual was carrying a knife and immediately alerted his colleagues. As officers attempted to make contact and issue commands for the suspect to stop and drop the weapon, the subject ran southbound parallel to Washington Street before abruptly turning at the intersection of 50th and Washington to run directly toward the pursuing officer while still armed. The confrontation intensified as the officer retreated backward to create distance, fearing an imminent stabbing attack, but the subject continued to close the gap aggressively. In response to this immediate deadly threat, the officer discharged six rounds from his duty handgun, causing the subject to fall to the ground while still holding the knife. Additional officers quickly arrived to secure the scene, move the weapon away from the suspect, and request emergency medical assistance. The subject, identified as 26-year-old Wilson Guerrero Bravo, was transported by ambulance to Denver Health Medical Center where he remains hospitalized at the time of the briefing. Investigators later confirmed that Guerrero Bravo was acquainted with a former resident who had recently moved out, and despite being warned not to return due to his disruptive behavior and unsettling comments, he persisted in knocking on doors and looking through windows. Following the incident, authorities recovered the 10-inch kitchen knife used by the suspect and determined that the involved officer, a uniform patrol member assigned to District 1 with no prior shooting history since joining the department in 2024, had fired exactly six rounds. The officer's body-worn camera captured the entire interaction, including the subject turning and advancing on the officer while brandishing the blade. Guerrero Bravo has been charged with criminal attempt to commit homicide and is currently being held on these charges. While the investigation is being conducted jointly by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the Colorado State Patrol, the Denver Police Department Homicide Unit, and the Denver District Attorney's Office under the monitoring of the Office of the Independent Monitor, officials noted that it is not yet possible to determine exactly how many times the suspect was struck or his full medical condition beyond his continued hospitalization. During the press conference, Lieutenant Rich Latham addressed questions regarding departmental policy and statistical performance, clarifying that there is no specific policy dictating an officer's reaction to an imminent deadly threat, but rather that officers must respond appropriately to such situations as they arise. He confirmed that Guerrero Bravo does not appear to be a native English speaker, noting that the suspect spoke Spanish after being shot, though it remains unknown if he could have communicated in Spanish prior to the encounter. Additionally, Lieutenant Fischer provided an update on Denver's crime clearance rates, stating that the homicide clearance rate is approximately 88% and the non-fatal shooting clearance rate is just over 50%, figures which the Chief praised as above average nationwide and indicative of competent investigative teams. The briefing concluded with a request for any additional information regarding the case to be directed to the Denver Police Department or Denver Crime Stoppers.

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And I'm here with uh Lieutenant Rich Latham from our Major Crimes Division. Here to provide a detailed follow-up briefing on an officer-involved shooting incident that occurred uh last Sunday, July 5th, in the early morning hours, or I guess the late morning hours, at the location of 50th and Washington. Um as you likely saw on the video, this incident unfolded quite rapidly. Um as the officers tried to make contact with an armed individual. Um it's unknown what this individual's motivations were, but we'll certainly try to answer any questions that you'll have at the conclusion of the presentation. So, Rich. >> Thanks, Chief. Uh good afternoon. This is intended to be a follow-up briefing based on the information ga- gathered after interviewing witnesses, speaking with the officers involved, and analyzing evidence collected at the scene. There may be some information that is not yet available or cannot be shared at this point, which may limit the ability to answer some questions, but we'll do our best to answer everything we can. On Sunday, July 5th, 2026, at approximately 11:46 a.m., uniform Denver police officers responded to a harassment call in the area of 51st and Clarkson. The 911 caller had advised that an individual was repeatedly returning to the residence and harassing occupants at this location. Officers have been called to the location on several prior occasions regarding the same individual. During those earlier responses, the individual typically left before officers arrived and would return shortly after they departed. As officers responded on July 5th, they coordinated an approach from different directions in an effort to contain and contact the suspect on this occasion. The officers located a subject matching the description provided by the 911 caller and attempted to contact him. An officer observed that the subject was carrying a knife and immediately aired this to the other officers in the area. The subject walked away from officers as they followed and began giving commands for him to stop and drop the knife. The subject then ran southbound parallel to Washington Street. One officer briefly lost sight of him as he moved behind a building. When the officer rounded the corner, the subject lunged at the officer while still armed with the knife. The officer broadcast The officer broadcast this information to alert the other officers in the area who were responding to the call. The officer continued to follow the subject who repeatedly ordered him to stop and drop the knife. The officer also warned the subject that he could be shot if he did not drop the weapon. The subject ignored the command and continued southbound toward the intersection of 50th and Washington Street. After entering the intersection, the subject abruptly turned and ran directly towards the officer, still holding the knife. The officer retreated backward to create time and distance, but the subject continued to close in on him. Fearing that the subject was about to stab him, the officer discharged six rounds from his duty handgun. The subject fell to the ground, still holding the knife. Once additional officers arrived on the scene, they moved forward, secured the subject, and moved the knife away from him. Officers requested emergency medical personnel and began rendering aid until Denver Health paramedics and Denver Fire arrived on scene and assumed medical care. The subject was transported by ambulance to Denver Health Medical Center, um where he remains hospitalized at the time of this briefing. Investigators later learned that the subject was acquainted with a former resident who had recently moved from the home he had been targeting. The remaining residents told the subject they did not want him to return because of his behavior and some comments that he had made um that that made them feel uncomfortable. Despite being told not to return, the subject came back to the residence on multiple occasions. He was reportedly knocking on the door and looking through windows, prompting the residents to call police several times. During those prior calls, the subject generally left the area before officers arrived and could not be located. The subject has been identified as 26-year-old Wilson Guerrero Bravo. Guerrero Bravo has been charged with criminal attempt to commit homicide and is currently being held on these charges. As part of the crime scene processing, investigators and crime lab personnel documented and recovered a 10-in kitchen knife the subject was armed with. Investigators determined that the involved officer fired a total of six rounds from his duty handgun. The officer who discharged his weapon is a uniform patrol officer assigned to District 1. The officer has been with the department since 2024 and has not been involved in a prior police shooting. The officer's body worn camera was activated and captured the interaction with the subject as well as the shooting. The involved officer will remain in a non-assign non-line assignment while completing the department's reintegration program. This investigation The investigation of this critical incident is being conducted by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Colorado State Patrol, the Denver Police Department Homicide Unit, and the Denver District Attorney's Office. The investigation is being monitored by the Office of the Independent Monitor. Anyone with additional information regarding this case is asked to contact the Denver Police Department or Denver Crime Stoppers. Couple of slides we have of the incident. Um this first slide is from the officer's body worn camera. It captures um the subject just moments after he enters the intersection and turns around and starts to close in on the officer. This next slide is as he continues to close the distance while still holding the knife. Um this is a crime scene photo of the knife that he was armed with. Any questions? >> Uh the um attempted homicide charge, is that attempted homicide on the officer? >> Correct. >> And Joe, can you spell the suspect's name? >> Uh Wilson, W I L S O N, Guerra, G U E R R A. Bravo, B R A V O. Mhm. >> Has just general policy for the police department, what's the policy when somebody an officer approaches somebody with a >> Well, I mean, quite frankly, I mean, there really is no department policy related to someone reacting to an imminent deadly threat. And so, um the officer, as you can very well see, uh was attempting to contact someone that was um a suspect in a reported crime. Uh and as he tried to make contact with that individual, he turned and and presented a very uh imminent deadly threat. And so, I think that he responded uh my opinion is that he responded responded appropriately to that threat. Obviously, it will be up to the district attorney to determine whether that was legal action. >> It's not a yes question, but that distance can be closed rather than >> Certainly, and it was closing rapidly, as you can see. >> Do we know if this gentleman is a native English speaker? >> Uh we don't know that. We don't know that. I mean, as as maybe you've seen in the video, he does speak Spanish uh when he after he's shot. Uh we have no uh way of knowing if he was able to speak Spanish prior to that contact. >> Uh do you know how many times he was shot? I know you said the officer fired six rounds. Do you know if that's still the case? >> Yes, and so uh and maybe, Rich, you can fill in if I'm if I'm incorrect, but I believe that we've not had an opportunity to make contact and and, you know, get an interview or do some uh some analysis to determine how many times he's been struck. >> Do you have an update on his condition? I assume he's still in the hospital. Is he still stable? Or is he still kind of not >> The only information I have is that he's still hospitalized today. >> Lieutenant Fischer, could you adjust the overall clearance rate for homicides and shootings in the city of Denver? >> Sure. Um today we've had 33 homicides and 51 non-fatal shootings that the non-fatal shooting team has handled. Um clearance rate for homicides is approximately 88% and the non-fatal shootings is just over 50%. >> How does that sit with you just on a I I think those are good statistics. I think we have some some very competent teams that are bringing these cases to resolution. I think an 88% clearance rate is is nationwide above average. Yes, there were seven calls that started on June 27th until July 5th. The initial caller had talked to officers. The officers couldn't locate the party, but about 10 minutes after they left, the caller called 911 again and said he had returned. Officers returned to the scene, were able to contact him at that point, gave him a warning not to return to that residence that they didn't want him there anymore. According to the resident the current resident, he was aware that this individual had moved out because he actually helped him move out. We're not aware. He does not. Thank you.