The man killed during a protest in Denver on Oct. 10 was reported to be a grandfather, military veteran, and police supporter who died in front of his son.
The 49-year-old man was identified as Lee Keltner who was at the protest to support the police, according to his mother Carol Keltner who posted on the Northeast Arkansas Tea Party Group, Fox News reported.
“My son Lee was at the patriot rally today in Denver,” Carol Keltner posted in the group, though her post was later removed. “After the rally a person on the BLM and Antifa side went up to him said a few nasty words then shot him in the head. He was murdered because he backed the police.”
Carol Keltner also wrote that her grandson, the victim’s son, witnessed the shooting. “His 24-year-old son was with him. I moved to Arkansas because Colorado got too expensive and liberal,” she added. “The left has gotten out of hand.”
According to the Denver Post, 30-year-old Matthew Dolloff fatally shot Lee Keltner during a confrontation at the Patriot Rally. Dolloff was contracted as a private security guard for the local Denver news station 9NEWS when Keltner approached Dolloff and the news producer he was guarding. The station shared video of the confrontation.
Keltner allegedly told the pair to stop using their cameras, saying, “Get the video out of here or I’m going to (expletive) you up,” the Denver Post reported.
The two appeared to engage in a physical altercation, during which Keltner struck Dolloff, knocking his glasses and hat off. The two then separated, at which point Dolloff drew his gun from his waistband, and Keltner drew his can of mace. Both pulled their triggers, and Keltner was struck by a single bullet, killing him.
The Denver Police Department immediately took Dolloff into custody on suspicion of first-degree murder.
“There was a verbal altercation that transpired. A firearm was discharged,” Denver Police chief of investigations Joe Montoya said. “An individual was shot and later pronounced deceased. There were two guns recovered at the scene.”
President Trump retweeted a slideshow compilation of photos taken by The Denver Post and shared by Ian Miles Cheong, editor of conservative publication Human Events. The photos captured the moments of the altercation and what followed.
Extended sequence of events in Denver. The victim backed off. He never stood a chance. pic.twitter.com/4HSSYQ1wrx
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) October 12, 2020
The shooting occurred following protests involving pro-police groups and opposing “resistance” groups.
“There was a large presence because we had two groups with opposing views, and we know that can always get very tense,” Montoya said. “There’s always potential for violence, we understand that.”
Montoya said there was a large police presence so the groups wouldn’t “intermingle” with one another.
In a video from 2011 shared by 9NEWS, Keltner discussed his business as a custom hat-maker and described missing an event due to his military service.
