By Sarah Huntley, Rocky Mountain News
April 19, 2004

Six hundred police officers and supporters gathered on the steps of the City and County Building in Denver this morning, chanting "serve with pride, serve with honor," in protest of a decision made last week to suspend officer James Turney for 10 months.

As the crowd stood outside, members of the Police Protective Association walked up to the mayor's office to deliver a letter expressing their concerns about the decision made by Manager of Safety Al LaCabe. Mayor John Hickenlooper was out of the office at a meeting with federal transportation officials.

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Union leaders said Hickenlooper's chief of staff promised the mayor will attend the next union meeting.

Turney was suspended for the July 5, 2003, shooting death of Paul Childs, a 15-year-old developmentally disabled boy armed with a knife, and an alleged threat he made to his former mother-in-law during a phone conversation while on duty the previous day.

Members of the community, on both sides of the issues, flanked the officers, waving signs in support and opposition.

"We're not against officers who do their jobs and do them well. What we are against is the small minority of rogue cops," said Shareef Aleem, who runs the Operation Get Turney campaign, an effort to have Turney fired. Aleem, who held a sign that said, "He will kill again," said his group also opposes the system, which he argues allows officers who do wrong to go unpunished.

On the other side of the steps, supporters waved signs that said "Paul Childs did not have to die. He should have dropped the knife," and "Support your police!"

"You know what? Police officers are human beings, too," said Laura Nuanes, who is married to a Denver police officer and came to the rally with her young daughter in a stroller. "I really think (Turney) was forced to do what he had to do. His life was threatened."

Turney is planning to appeal his discipline to the Civil Service Commission.

Copyright 2004, Rocky Mountain News. All Rights Reserved.