Denver protesters took to the streets Tuesday to demonstrate against immigration enforcement. Denver7 Investigates spoke with former Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen, who was hopeful that the demonstration would remain peaceful.
Pazen was chief from 2018 to 2022 and served during the 2020 protests over the death of George Floyd, a Minnesota Black man who died after a police officer knelt on his neck. Pazen was seen during the protests walking the streets of Denver, arm-in-arm with protesters.
Denver7 Chief Investigator Tony Kovaleski asked Pazen for his perspective on Tuesday's planned protest in Denver.
Tony Kovaleski: Paul, your thoughts as Denver gets ready for another potential night of rioting.
Paul Pazen: Well, Tony, I have all the confidence in the world in the Denver Police Department, the women and men that make up the department, the planning that's gone in order to prepare for something like this. Really, it's essential to know – and this is an issue that gets overlooked quite a bit – that policing in America is based on consent. And if we have folks that are peaceful protesters, it will be a peaceful event, but when you have individuals that are agitators that are looking to cause problems, it causes challenges for police departments across the country, as we've seen.
Kovaleski: Denver PSL (Party for Socialism and Liberation) this morning put up an Instagram post that said ‘Be prepared for potential police escalation, folks,’ and then they pulled it down. What does that Instagram post say to you?
Pazen: To me, that is clearly trying to inflame a situation to create that agitation. The Denver Police Department has a long history of being able to manage peaceful protests. Hundreds of peaceful protests go off without incident. But when you have individuals who inflame the situation or agitate the situation, it makes it difficult for any department. The Denver Police Department does not escalate the situation. It de-escalates to the best of its abilities. But again, the police department responds to the type of actions that individuals take. And sometimes, that response dictates an elevated type of action.
Kovaleski: Talk to us about training, tactics and preparation. Because one thing is clear: these are predictably unpredictable. How do you prepare for something like tonight?
Pazen: Actually, I love the words that you use, Tony. Predictably unpredictable. The police department has lots of training in crowd management and field force in order to try to manage this. But again, that keyword is managed, right? It's easy to manage a peaceful protest. People that are trying to get their message across and go out and be heard. But once you have individuals that are set on violence and destruction, that makes it very difficult to address those individuals that are intermingled with a peaceful protest. Really, in order to manage these types of situations, it's incumbent on those that organize protests to self-regulate and get rid of any of the agitators that take away from the message that they're trying to achieve.
Kovaleski: Paul, as you know, the city was ordered to pay out large sums to protesters after the 2020 protests that you were involved in and work to de-escalate. Reaction now that you're not the police chief to those kind of decisions that came out from the courts? And does that, in fact, incentivize some of these people to take it beyond the peaceful protest you talked about? Give me your insight.
Pazen: Well, a couple of things there. First and foremost, a lot of these cases have gone on. They've been appealed. The city has won several of these cases as well, which often doesn't get talked about as much as it should. So, kudos to the city attorneys and the efforts that they have taken in order to get the right types of judgments in these types of situations. But secondly, you talked about incentivizing agitation, incentivizing destructive and violent behavior. Really, it's about holding those individuals accountable for their actions. And that can be done in a couple of different ways. I would ask that organizers of peaceful protests do a better job of removing individuals who are escalating the situation, who are throwing rocks, who are vandalizing, breaking things, spray painting, things that are causing harm. It takes away from their own message. So, if we want peaceful protests in the City of Denver, it's incumbent on the organizers to regulate the crowds that they bring in.
Kovaelski: Looking back on 2020. Five years ago now, we have pictures of you walking arm-in-arm with some of the protesters through the street. What are your vivid memories of that event, and what did you do to try and de-escalate?
Pazen: Well, Tony, thanks for pointing that out. I really appreciate it. Essentially, that is what stopped the protest, the violent aspects of the 2020 protest, and helped to de-escalate the situation. However, I get back to that point: policing in America is upon consent, and we can police the people of our community in a very safe, very fair way when people are willing to work together toward that. But when you have individuals who are bent on damage and destruction, that causes problems for any police department, and we had far too many agitators back then, and hopefully, that's not the case now in 2025.
Kovaleski: That picture, you arm-in-arm with some of the protesters. What did that say?
Pazen: Well, it shows you that right now, we have far too many people that are vilifying the police department and the officers that make up the Denver Police Department. The reality is, these are members of our community. They're brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, mothers and fathers. And they go out working hard every single day to try to keep a community safe. They are part of the community, and we have too many people that are causing problems in our community that see the police officers as the other, that see the police officers as somebody to target. The Denver Police Department has a long history and policy that is not based on enforcing the federal immigration statutes, and that's been in place for 20 or 30 years. Yet, that is the focal point now that some people will try to create agitation and anger, and it's just simply not the case. So what I hope that people realize is the police or the community and the community or the police and working together is how you have a safe community.
Kovaleski: And finally, as you look back on your term, was that moment walking arm and arm one of your proudest moments as you were walking through the streets of Denver?
Pazen: It certainly was. I was certainly concerned for my own safety, but I recognized the need, and I truly believe that that could help de-escalate the situation. And I'm proud to say that there were zero violent protests after that. And it just shows that working with the community is the way to address these types of situations. But this is not a one-way street. It's not only upon the police to do their thing. We want all aspects to de-escalate the situation. If you have organizers of peaceful protests that step up and get rid of agitators, you will have a peaceful, successful protest. When people start to cause damage, destruction, get involved in violence, then, the police department has to respond. That is their duty in order to stop the violence.
