Dennis Schroeder © News Janae Hancock, 5, prays with her family and others at a City Park rally Sunday. Sponsored by the Greater Metro Denver Ministerial Alliance, the rally drew about 200 people to protest the 10-month suspension of police officer James Turney in the shooting death of Paul Childs, a mentally disabled teen.

Turney suspension fires a community wary of the police

By Jerd Smith, Rocky Mountain News
April 19, 2004

Denver ministers Sunday vowed to register new voters and enact laws to combat what they consider police brutality - the latest community response to the Paul Childs shooting.

The efforts were announced during a City Park rally four days after Denver police officer James Turney received a 10-month suspension in last summer's shooting death of Childs, a developmentally disabled 15-year-old.

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Police went to the Childs home after receiving a call that the teenager was threatening his mother with a knife. Childs did not respond to police orders to drop the weapon and Turney opened fire as he approached.

"It's not just about this one child," said the Rev. Reginald Holmes, president of the Greater Metro Denver Ministerial Alliance. "It's about all of our children. We've got to mobilize the people who are serious about changing this community."

Organizers of the rally distributed voter registration forms to the crowd, which appeared to number around 200.

Several people said they were disappointed by Denver Manager of Safety Al LaCabe's decision not to remove Turney from the force. They vowed to push for a ballot initiative that would change the law, giving officials more options in dealing with police violence.

"I've lived in this city a long time," said Alton Clark, a Denver native. "And I am not happy with what I've been seeing. I think the gentleman (Turney) should have been brought up on charges."

Holmes also warned police officers against protesting Turney's 10-month suspension by launching a work slowdown via sick days, known as "blue flu."

"I'm very concerned about this thing we keep hearing about the 'blue flu.' We pay these officers' salaries," Holmes said.

"They have a right to protest, but they have a duty to protect us. We will not deal with police officers (who engage in such tactics.)"

Sgt. Mike Mosco, president of the Police Protective Association, and Police Chief Gerry Whitman have said officers will continue to do their jobs.

Today, police and their families are expected to show up on Mayor John Hickenlooper's doorstep in support of Turney.

At Sunday's rally, Denver City Council President Elbra Wedgeworth said she supported Hickenlooper's actions and those of LaCabe. "(He) made a very tough decision," she said.

Any efforts to change laws governing police behavior will take time, she cautioned. Wedgeworth said she would wait to see what a special commission on police reform determines later this month before deciding what kind of changes may need to be made to city ordinances.

"It's going to be a tough battle," said Wedgeworth, who represents some of Denver's poorest neighborhoods. "But we're going to do whatever we can to make sure no other family ever has to go through this again."

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Voter registration forms can be downloaded at www.denvergov.org.

smithj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-5474

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