In the weeks after George Floyd’s murder, protesters in Denver demanded the prosecution and conviction of the Minneapolis officer responsible for his death as well as the prosecution of officers who kill people in Colorado.
On Tuesday, a Minnesota jury found the Minneapolis police officer guilty of murdering Floyd — a result Colorado leaders said was a small step toward improving police accountability.
But criminal charges against Colorado law enforcement officers who kill people while on-duty remain rare and convictions are even rarer.
There is no official historical database of officers who have been charged or convicted of on-duty killings, but a review of Denver Post archives from the past 10 years found at least five cases where officers were charged.
One Colorado officer has been convicted of killing someone while on duty in the last decade, though three law enforcement officers are currently facing charges in connection to killings.
