By Tillie Fong, Rocky Mountain News
July 10, 2003

The family of Paul Childs has hired high-profile Los Angeles attorney Johnnie L. Cochran Jr., who says he's "quite concerned" about the case.

"It's probably one that needs to be litigated," Cochran told The Associated Press. "This kid should not be dead. We have a lot of witnesses that say this kid posed no threat to any of the officers or family members, so that's pretty troubling."

Cochran rose to national fame in 1995 when he successfully defended O.J. Simpson on murder charges. He is expected to represent the family of Childs, a mentally disabled 15-year-old shot and killed by a Denver police officer Saturday, in civil proceedings against the department.

Cochran is currently representing a developmentally disabled boy beaten by six police officers at an Inglewood, Calif., gas station in July 2002, after police pulled over his father for driving with expired plates.

Police said Donovan Jackson, 16, did not comply with their commands. Two officers were indicted on assault charges, and Cochran filed suit against the city.

Denver residents have been outraged by the Childs shooting and are planning a candlelight prayer vigil tonight in honor of the boy.

Denver police say they have no plans to disrupt the event.

"These are respectable citizens, and they want to pay homage to this young man," said Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson. "We respect that."

Police will likely be present, but "we're not expecting any problems," said police spokeswoman Teresa Garcia. She said the organizers did not get a parade permit, so participants are expected to stay off the streets and not block traffic.

Garcia declined to say how many officers will be at the event or if any additional measures will be taken because of the emotions surrounding the case.

"Even if we were, we couldn't tell you," she said. "We'll be there to protect people and to try to keep them out of the streets."

As for any protests against the police at the event, "They're free to make any comments they want."

Meanwhile, Denver Mayor Wellington E. Webb paid a visit Wednesday to Helen Childs, mother of the slain teenager, to offer his condolences.

Webb and the Rev. Paul Martin visited the family for about 30 minutes at their home in the 5000 block of East Thrill Place, where the shooting occurred on Saturday.

Helen Childs declined to comment after the visit.

The mayor "inquired if they needed assistance," said Webb spokeswoman C.L. Harmer. "He assured them he would push for expediting a thorough investigation."

Among those present at the meeting was Regina Keith, mother of 18-year-old Gregory Smith Jr., who was killed in a January 2002 shooting involving police officer James Turney, the same officer who killed Childs.

In the Smith case, the Denver district attorney's office ruled that Turney and another officer used justified force when they confronted Smith, who held a knife.

The Denver Police Department Discharge Review Board, which investigates whether departmental policies are broken, also cleared both officers.

fongt@RockyMountainNews.com or (303) 892-5489 News staff writers Karen Abbott, Hector Gutierrez and John C. Ensslin contributed to this report.

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