DENVER — A former Denver police officer was found liable by a jury Friday after shooting several bystanders while trying to apprehend an armed suspect he spotted in a crowded part of downtown in 2022.
In all, six people injured by former Denver Police Officer Brandon Francisco Ramos were awarded $19.75 million by the jury in connection with the July 2022 shooting in Denver's Lower Downtown (LoDo).
The case against Ramos is one Denver7 has extensively covered over the past three years. In April 2024, he pleaded guilty to third-degree assault as part of a plea deal and was sentenced to 18 months of probation.
Officers were trying to take Jordan Waddy into custody for his alleged involvement in a fight outside of the Larimer Beer Hall. Body camera video from police released nearly a month after the shooting showed Waddy pulled a handgun from the side of his hoodie's front pocket, threw it onto the ground and raised both hands in the air as police began firing at him from the front and the side. He was among a crowd of people.
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Ramos initially pleaded not guilty in September 2023 to several counts of assault, prohibited use of a weapon and reckless endangerment charges in connection with the shooting of six bystanders, plus the suspect Ramos was looking for.
Following his sentencing, several of the injured bystanders filed a civil lawsuit against Ramos.
All six bystanders suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the Denver Police Department announced it had updated and enhanced its officer training for these types of encounters.
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