DENVER — Tensions continue to run high between one member of the Denver City Council and the Denver Police Department — with the latest battle playing out on Twitter.
Candi CdeBaca, who represents District 9 on the Council accused a Denver Police officer of pulling a gun on her and others using a video taken at a recent protest as evidence. The video she retweeted on Twitter drew dozens of responses, most against CdeBaca.
Last Thursday, CdeBaca was participating in a protest over a sweep of a homeless camp in Denver’s Five Points neighborhood. The protest turned into a violent clash between protestors and police and resulted in several officers injured and one man arrested for carrying a replica BB gun.
A video surfaced with the voice of a woman immediately after the confrontations encouraging people involved in the confrontations to sue the city of Denver. That voice was identified as CdeBaca, although the video did not show the woman’s face.
“Look, anybody who was hurt needs to sue. The liability went up after the state law changed. Everybody needs to start suing,” The Denver Channel reported.
CdeBaca confirmed her statement late Thursday telling The Denver Channel: “absolutely, these people should sue these cops,” after she said she saw people with “very real injuries.”
Then, on Friday, she doubled down on her ire with the police by falsely accusing one of pulling a gun on her and other protesters.
“Check out the photos (sic) the thread where you can see the officer who pulled a gun on us for no reason,” the Tweet from Aug. 21 reads.
Denver Police were quick to respond, tweeting back that the gun in question was not his “duty weapon” but the BB/replica gun that was recovered from the suspect arrested.
The photos CdeBaca invited people to “check out” show the officer holding the gun in question by the barrel, not pointed at anyone or in a position to shoot, while his service pistol is holstered.
It wasn’t enough to quiet CdeBaca, however, she went onto call the Denver Police “unhinged cops running around beating people.”
Her Tweet resulted in dozens of responses, all of which except a few, supported police, many calling for CdeBaca to step down or be recalled.
The confrontation is not a first for CdeBaca, who unsuccessfully attempted to defund Denver Police.
Just three days before the protest, CdeBaca’s fellow council members overwhelmingly defeated her proposal proposal for a “Peace Force” to replace the Police Department. The vote was 11-1.
According to a CBS4 report, Mayor Hancock called the idea “reckless and irresponsible, adding it won’t happen so long as he’s mayor.
“There’s a right way, and an informed way to legislate,” the report quotes Hancock. “There are also destructive ways to abuse the legislative process, under the guise of advancing public conversation. And we owe the people of Denver better than that.”
CdeBaca promised she would put it before the voters, that would take either a ballot initiative by the people or City Council could refer it to the ballot.
