Lawyer: Denver protest shooter acted in self-defense

Matthew Dolloff, a 30-year-old security guard for a news crew, remains in jail on suspicion of murder after shooting and killing a protester on Saturday. His family’s lawyer, Doug Richards, said Monday that Dolloff shot in self-defense. The Denver Post has images that show Dolloff standing between the protesters and a KUSA-TV reporter, Richards said. Another image shows a protester spraying Mace at Dolloff. City officials said Dolloff was not licensed to work as a security guard in Denver. He was a contractor for the security company Pinkerton, which KUSA hired, and had a concealed carry license. The news station said it had requested an unarmed guard.

Who is the protester? Lee Keltner, 49, was a Navy veteran and local businessman, his son told the Post. Two groups were holding demonstrations—one dubbed “Patriot Muster” and the other “BLM-Antifa Soup Drive”— at Civic Center Park at the time of the shooting. Keltner had attended the former and other rallies recently, KWGN-TV of Denver reported. Friends described him as a biker, patriot, and lover of the Old West but said he did not hold extreme views.

Dig deeper: Read Emily Belz’s report on the increase in shootings in the United States.