Looks like Pinkerton is throwing the security guard under the bus. Pinkerton has a long history of defending their employees in court for actions taken on the job -- spending quite a bit of money with top legal firms to do so. In the case of Matthew Dolloff -- the are just stating he was a sub-contractor of another firm and Pinkerton is doing nothing to help (as far as I can tell based on the press). I guess it all comes down to what is best for Pinkerton financially -- in this case they just want to wash their hands of the situation. Accused Denver shooter was a sub-contractor, not employee: Pinkerton https://nypost.com/2020/10/12/denver-shooter-was-a-sub-contractor-not-employee-pinkerton/ The Pinkerton detective agency said Monday that accused Denver “Patriot Rally” shooter Matthew Dolloff worked for a contractor and was not directly employed by the famed firm. “We take loss of life in any situation very seriously and our hearts go out to those impacted by this situation,” the company posted on its Facebook page. “As it relates to the incident in Denver on October 10, the agent in question is not a Pinkerton employee but rather a contractor agent from a long-standing industry vendor.” “Security professionals often serve as guides to protect media crews during potentially dangerous situations or hostile environments,” the statement said. “We are fully cooperating with law enforcement authorities in their investigation.” Dolloff, 30, who was hired by a local TV station to protect its news crew while covering a right-wing demonstration on Saturday, shot and killed US Navy veteran Lee Keltner in a confrontation with Black Lives Matters protesters. The station, 9News-TV, said Sunday that it contracted Dolloff through Pinkerton and that it had enlisted security “for a number of months” to protect employees while covering BLM protests and related rallies. Late Sunday, KCNC-TV reported that Dolloff was not licensed to work as a security guard in the city when the fatal incident took place. Pinkerton did not identify the subcontractor that employed Dolloff. Officials at Denver County Court said Monday that Dolloff made an initial court appearance Sunday and was due to be arraigned in district court. His criminal complaint was ordered sealed by a judge Sunday. It was not immediately known when the arraignment would take place
As I said this guy is going to prison for something because I still did not see anything in the video that justifies the "Security guard" engaging this man. Was he attacking the media or reporters? No. Was he lisenced? no. Did he shoot and kill someone in the open street? yes Not only is he going to jail but the family will sue without hesitation. So it makes sense Pinkerton is separating itself form this shit show as much as possible. The law rarely allows anyone in the open street to simply shoot down people in this type of circumstance so expect a criminal charge and a lawsuit real fast.
I will wait for a decision form the DA. But from what I am seeing in media I am expecting it is likely they will prosecute the case. It will be interesting to see how it turns out in the long term. One item coming out of this to debate will be "Is bear spray / pepper spray considered a weapon combined with an assault that poses significant risk of bodily harm? -- to the point where the victim can use deadly force to defend themselves?" What does this mean for other cases? What does this mean for police spraying irritants?
More important... if this guy was hired to protect the media covering the event, why was the guard in the middle of all this and what lead up to him being maced. I still think it would be really hard to prove that someone spraying mace... a limited range DETERRENT device that can be avoided with a simple turn of the head or stepping/running backwards warrants killing with a gun. He was not protecting anyone but himself which he could have done with his feet. There are numerous cases of the law where someone gets into a bar fight with fists and someone uses a weapon and goes to jail. This is not a criminal breaking into your house or getting jumped in an alley where you have serious imminent threat with no time to assess whether there is a weapon or not. The guard clearly sees the situation with the spray and decides to gun down someone. You keep equating a spray and a touching with significant risk of bodily harm warranting murder but those 2 do not go together in the video I see. No one asked the guard to step in and confront the situation or draw his weapon. The DA does not want private unlicensed guards stepping in and shooting people in the streets and he will be charged.
Sometimes the headline speaks for itself... Anchor for outlet that hired security guard accused of killing protester mocked Coloradans fearful of protests earlier this year https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/...oradans-fearful-of-protests-earlier-this-year An anchor for the news outlet that hired a security guard suspected of fatally shooting a protester this weekend mocked residents who were fearful of Colorado’s protests earlier this year. “Shame to think there are people cowering in the suburbs, cleaning their guns, peeking through the blinds wondering if every person of color outside is Antifa. If you’re afraid to come into Denver because of talk radio fear-mongering, you’re missing out on a lot,” 9News anchor Kyle Clark tweeted on Sept. 26. The Federalist’s Mollie Hemingway called attention to the tweet on Sunday. “This Denver Channel 9 news anchor mocked viewers who were concerned about Denver's riots and accused critics of the violent Antifa movement of racism, without evidence. Channel 9 hired the ‘security guard’ being held for a shooting death in Denver yesterday,” she wrote. Matthew Dolloff, 30, was arrested and charged this weekend in connection to shooting and killing Denver-area hatter Lee Keltner, who was attending a “patriot" rally in the city. 9News hired Dolloff as a security guard to accompany its team to the rally on Saturday. "A private security guard who was hired by 9NEWS is the suspect detained by DPD," 9NEWS reported. "It has been the practice of 9NEWS for a number of months to hire private security to accompany staff at protests." The Denver Department of Excise and Licenses said it has no record of Dolloff being a licensed security guard, and a department spokesman added that Dolloff was breaking the law if he was, in fact, acting in that capacity during Saturday’s protests. “If he was operating as a security guard, he was in violation of the law,” said Eric Escudero, a department spokesman. “Security guards are prohibited from carrying or using a firearm without getting an armed firearm endorsement for their license. All security guards in Denver are required to get a federal background check before they receive their license.” The shooting unfolded Saturday afternoon after the anti-communist "Patriot Muster" rally kicked off. "It's time we let these communist socialists know we have had enough," a description of the event stated. "Fight back, push back. Time to take our country back!" A Denver Communists group responded to news of the event by holding a counterprotest called the "BLM-Antifa Soup Drive." "We scheduled our action after learning that the militia-fascists had called a 'patriot muster' against the Black Lives Matter movement, anti-fascists and Marxists," a representative for Denver Communists said. "That's us — guilty as charged and happy to oblige with our presence." The victim, Keltner, was identified by his mother on Facebook this weekend. “My son Lee was at the patriot rally today in Denver,” Keltner’s mother, Carole, posted on the Northeast Arkansas Tea Party Facebook group. “He was murdered because he backed the police.” “His 24-year-old son was with him,” she continued. “I moved to Arkansas because Colorado got too expensive and liberal. The left has gotten out of hand.”
The right-wing protestor who got shot in Denver -- Newly released video and photo shows him attacking a reporter and the guard who's sitting in jail right now. Note the security guard is not charged yet. Video shows moments before, during and after shooting at dueling Denver rallies A judge on Tuesday also granted a motion filed by the Denver DA for a 72-hour extension on a decision on whether to file charges against Matthew Dolloff. https://www.9news.com/article/news/...video/73-a5a0a0e9-11b1-4d7d-972d-7b2a25fd1173 Video released Tuesday shows the moments preceding, during and after a shooting Saturday during dueling Denver rallies that left one man dead. An unlicensed security guard has been accused of shooting and killing 49-year-old Lee Keltner during those rallies. Matthew Dolloff, 30, fired his gun at the same time the victim discharged a can of OC spray, according to a Denver Police (DPD) probable cause (PC) statement, also released Tuesday. Keltner, reportedly a Navy veteran, worked as a hatter and was also a part of Colorado’s Motorcycle community. The Biker Down Charity has started a fundraiser for his family, describing him as a husband, father and friend to many. Dolloff was taken into custody immediately following the Oct. 10 shooting near the Denver Art Museum (DAM). 9Wants to Know confirmed that a Denver County Court judge on Tuesday granted a motion filed by District Attorney Beth McCann for a 72-hour extension regarding a decision on whether official charges will be filed against Dolloff. The shooting occurred near the end of the dueling demonstrations, which included members of Black Lives Matter and other groups on one side, as well as people attending what was called a "Patriot Muster." 9NEWS has released two video clips taken from the cell phone of a producer on Saturday. One clip shows the moments that preceded the shooting of Keltner during the dueling Denver rallies. The video stops, and the second clip shows the aftermath, when police are securing the scene. Another video, taken by a man live-streaming the incident, shows the 12 seconds in between, when the shooting occurred. Dolloff was contracted through the company Pinkerton by 9NEWS. It has been the practice of 9NEWS for a number of months to contract private security to accompany staff at protests. Denver Police said in a tweet that Dolloff was "acting in a professional capacity as an armed security guard." Pinkerton said it does not actually employ Dolloff – Pinkerton did not share the name of the company for which Dolloff worked. Pinkerton on Monday released the following statement via its Facebook page: According to the PC statement, Keltner and another individual engaged in a "verbal dispute" and "both men yelled and postured" while walking with a group around 3:30 p.m. near the DAM during the rally. Witnesses told investigators they believed "the men may engage in a physical altercation," the PC statement says. Keltner was then observed holding a bottle of OC spray prior to striking Dolloff in the side of the head with an open hand following an altercation in front of the DAM, according to the PC statement. Dolloff then pulled a gun from his waistband and fired one shot at the same time Keltner sprayed the OC, the PC statement says. Keltner immediately collapsed, the PC statement says, and officers quickly took custody of Dolloff. Keltner was taken to the hospital, where he was declared dead at 4:05 p.m., the PC statement says. Dan Recht, the personal attorney for the 9NEWS producer who was on the scene that day, talked to Jason Whitely, from our sister station WFAA in Dallas about what his client saw the day of the deadly shooting: Denver HALO cameras, as well as cell phone video and digital photography, captured the incident, the PC statement says. According to Eric Escudero, marketing and communications manager for the city’s Department of Excise and Licenses, “there is no record” that Dolloff had a license required by the city to work as a security guard – and no evidence he’d had one in the past. City law defines a security guard as “a person employed or engaged by a private security employer to perform security services.” Dolloff was issued a concealed carry permit in June 2018, which was viable for five years, according to Elbert County Sheriff Tim Norton. Norton said he suspended the permit Monday morning. Doug Richards, an attorney for the Dolloff family, said in a statement Sunday: "Matt was acting in self-defense. Matt put his life and now his liberty in between the now-deceased and the 9NEWS employee. This was not a political assignment for Matt. This was simply Matt protecting your employee.” 9NEWS management released the following statement about the incident: “9NEWS continues to cooperate fully with law enforcement and is deeply saddened by this loss of life. “For the past few months, it has been the practice of 9NEWS to contract private security, through an outside firm, to accompany our personnel covering protests. Pinkerton, the private security firm, is responsible for ensuring its guards or those it contracts with are appropriately licensed. 9NEWS does not contract directly with individual security personnel." An additional statement from 9NEWS management was released Tuesday: "As stated yesterday, 9NEWS does not contract directly with individual security personnel. 9NEWS contracted with Pinkerton and had directed that security guards accompanying our personnel not be armed. None of 9NEWS’ crew accompanied by Mr. Dolloff on Saturday were aware that he was armed.”