DENVER — The 58-year-old man shot and killed by Denver police in a Villa Park backyard last week was armed with what police initially believed was a firearm but later identified as a BB gun, DPD announced Wednesday during a press conference.
On April 7, a Denver police officer fired five rounds at Joseph Martinez after he allegedly pointed what was believed to be a firearm at the officer during a standoff outside a home in the 1000 block of S. Quitman Street in Villa Park.
Police learned during a subsequent investigation that the weapon was a pump-style BB gun rifle, not a real firearm.
Police released drone footage of Martinez on Wednesday. Watch the video below.
After the shooting, medics took Martinez to a hospital, where he later died. Police said he never fired his weapon, and no officers were injured.
The incident began at 3:44 p.m. when a family member of Martinez called 911, reporting that he was armed and threatening people nearby.
Denver police and a SWAT team arrived within three minutes and spent over an hour ordering Martinez to drop his weapon, according to DPD Commander Matt Clarke.
At the press conference, Clarke released footage from the officer's body-worn camera and a DPD drone, showing the standoff.
The footage shows Martinez pacing in the backyard with the rifle, at times aiming it toward officers while they urge him to surrender.
Moments later, body-worn camera footage shows an officer positioned in an adjacent backyard ordering Martinez to “drop it! Drop it!” before firing at least five rounds at the 58-year-old suspect.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the Colorado State Patrol, and the Denver District Attorney's Office are investigating. Clarke said no determination of whether the shooting was justified has been made yet.
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