Robert White

Rollin Oliver pleads guilty to second-degree murder in slaying of Officer Celena Hollis

Rollin Oliver pleaded guilty today to second-degree murder in the shooting death of Denver police officer Celena Hollis last June. The 22-year-old faces a sentence of sixteen to 26 years in prison according to the plea agreement, which is on view below. The original charge of first-degree murder/ext ... More >>

Alex Landau frustrated by cop reinstatement, latest delay in bloody beating investigation

Earlier this month, the Justice Department decided not to charge the officers who beat Alex Landau to a pulp with federal civil rights violations. This conclusion frustrated Landau, but he figured that at least he'd find out the results of a local investigation put on hold due to the feds' actions. ... More >>

Marijuana giveaway with pipes purchase illegal, says attorney general, police chief

Earlier this month, we wrote about Craigslist advertisements offering free marijuana as a bonus for purchasing other items, in exchange for a donation, or even for buying a $50 bumper sticker. Now, however, both the Colorado Attorney General and the Denver Police Chief have branded the practice ille ... More >>

Denver police and DPS agree: No more tickets for bad language, minor scuffles

Students in Denver's public schools will no longer be ticketed by police for minor infractions, such as using bad language or getting into a scuffle in which no one is hurt, according to the terms of an agreement signed today by superintendent Tom Boasberg and Denver police chief Robert White. The a ... More >>

Marijuana business ban in Denver? Councilman doubts it will pass

The Denver City Council has agreed to consider a ban on recreational marijuana businesses in April, joining dozens of Colorado cities and counties mulling similar proposals. In addition, it's Amendment 64 Special Issues Committee will put proposed Denver regulations on hold until spring, so it can c ... More >>

Independent monitor: Five Denver police officer-involved shootings still under review

Just before the end of 2012, Nicholas Mitchell, Denver's new independent monitor, released his first report to the public, covering discipline cases at the police and sheriff's departments. The document from the city's official watchdog, just the second person to hold the position, offers a glimps ... More >>

Year in Review: The strangest people and events of 2012

See also: Year in Review: The 2012 Hall of Shame

Fero's Bar & Grill: See the men arrested in shocking quintuple homicide (39-43)

Update: The Denver Police Department has released mug shots of Dexter Lewis, Joseph Hill and Lynell Hill, the three men suspected of killing five people at Fero's Bar & Grill early Wednesday morning and then setting the business on fire. We're also getting a closer look at the victims -- a group fr ... More >>

Young Suk Fero, owner of Fero's, killed in robbery/arson; suspects arrested

Denver Police Chief Robert White and Commander Ron Saunier just announced that three arrests had been made in the quintuple murders that took place early yesterday morning at Fero's Bar & Grill on Colorado Boulevard; among the five victims in an incident that began as a robbery and escalated into ho ... More >>

Fero's Bar & Grill the site of "arson-homicide" -- with five dead

Fero's Bar & Grill is a longtime dive on the edge of Glendale, a place to get a quick drink before the movies or a cheap steak if you're staying at a hotel in the area. Over the decades, it's kept a low profile -- until now. As Denver Police Chief Robert White revealed at a press conference at 5:3 ... More >>

Robert White, Denver police chief, didn't realize he was moving to the marijuana "capital"

Robert White, Denver's police chief, knew a lot about Denver and Colorado before he came here, but there's one thing that really shocked him: marijuana. That's right! White, who left his post as police chief in Louisville, Kentucky in October, had no idea that moving to Denver meant he would be li ... More >>

Michael Hancock: Aurora shootings shouldn't be used to push gun control

Since James Holmes purchased an AR-15 assault rifle and shot twelve people dead in an Aurora movie theater, we've asked different local officials if they think stricter gun control laws could help prevent this kind of tragedy in the future. Recently, Denver mayor Michael Hancock told us that he woul ... More >>

Denver police chief Robert White pushes for progress on gun control

Speaking one week after a former Denver resident shot six people dead in Wisconsin, and less than a month after James Holmes killed twelve and injured dozens more in Aurora, Denver police chief Robert White told Westword it's time to make progress on gun control. We spoke with White over the weekend ... More >>

Photos: East Side Peace March draws mayor, police chief, ex-gang members

Between the shooting of Denver police officer Celena Hollis and the death of twelve people at the Aurora theater massacre, it's been a particularly violent summer locally -- a fact that underscored an annual peace march over the weekend. Denver officials and community groups banded together Saturday ... More >>

Denver cops are back to moonlighting at Chloe

Benita Packard, Denver cop, recommended for firing over Laura Bradford incident?

In January, the Denver Police Department held an extraordinary press conference apologizing for actions of a sergeant after a traffic stop involving Representative Laura Bradford. Now, CBS4 is reporting that Chief Robert White has recommended that Benita Packard, the sarge at the center of the incid ... More >>

Michael Hancock picks the right setting for today's State of the City speech

Mayor Michael Hancock will deliver his State of the City address at 10 a.m. today, a year after he took office. The setting for the speech, City Park, was chosen over a month ago, but it symbolizes two of the major (and overlapping) challenges he'll face over the next three years:

Can new faces and a new structure bring discipline to the Denver Police Department?

Alex Martinez, Manager of Safety, on window of opportunity to create change

On November 1, Alex Martinez traded his spot in the Colorado State Supreme Court to become Denver's sixth manager of safety in slightly more than a year. He has spoken publicly about his priorities for the position, which center on renewing public trust in the Denver Police Department and his office ... More >>

Gang violence by the numbers: Murders up, aggravated assaults down

This week's cover story, "Flash Point," details Denver's response to what many perceive as a recent rise in gang violence. According to the most up-to-date statistics from the Denver Police Department, six murders were linked to gang activity between January and May of this year. That's up from five ... More >>

Denver police: Chief White hopes to reduce "stagnation" through realignment

On Friday afternoon, Denver Police Chief Robert White notified officers of the next step in his ongoing work to restructure the department: Through July 27, interested officers can apply for transfer or promotion to detective, corporal and technician candidates. In an interview with Westword last we ... More >>

Gang-related deaths are on the rise in Denver

Also read: Denver's plan to cool down gang violence

Rollin Oliver: First-degree murder/extreme indifference charge in Celena Hollis murder (12)

Update: Rollin Oliver, 21, was born on Christmas Day -- but what he just received from the Denver District Attorney's Office can't be considered an early gift. He's now been formally charged with first-degree murder/extreme indifference in the City Park slaying of Denver police officer Celena Holli ... More >>

Denver cops start enforcing urban camping ban: No arrests or citations yet

After almost a week of delay, the Denver Police Department began enforcing the city's new urban camping ordinance yesterday afternoon. Although the ban legally took effect May 29, officers extended the wait in order to provide more educational opportunities about the ordinance and its legal implicat ... More >>

Alex Landau beating: Denver cops puts case on pause as FBI investigates

Update below: Alex Landau talks about the news. Three years-plus since Alex Landau was beaten bloody after being pulled over for what officers cited as an illegal left turn, and a year since he was

Urban camping ban: Denver Police outline enforcement protocol

The Denver Police Department has released the training bulletin that details how officers should approach violations of the city's new urban camping ban. Before the ordinance goes into effect May 29, officers are partnering with homeless outreach workers to prepare a department-wide response that de ... More >>

Urban camping: Occupy Denver protests precede council vote on ban

It's crunch time. As the Denver City Council prepares for a final vote tonight on the proposed urban camping ban, opponents and proponents spent the weekend discussing the issue in meetings and on the streets. At the Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation, regional representatives hosted a panel to debate ... More >>

Alex Landau refuses to re-enact Denver cop beating

On January 29, 2009, Alex Landau was brutally beaten by Denver cops after they pulled him over for what they said was an illegal left turn -- but he charged was racial profiling. And the City of Denver agreed -- or at least was worried enough about the federal lawsuit Landau filed to settle with La ... More >>

Urban camping ban: Lawyers make plans for pro bono defense of offenders

Denver's proposed urban camping ban has a lot of people talking -- about legality, repercussions and enforcement, the last of which Police Chief Robert White promises will be "very passive." But what about representation? This morning, Westword spoke to Charles Nadler, president of the Colorado chap ... More >>

Tracie Keesee didn't become police chief, but she's an Outstanding Woman

She wasn't named chief of the Denver Police Department -- although she was rumored to be a leading contender until Michael Hancock decided to go outside of the DPD to tap Robert White. But tonight Captain Tracie Keesee will get another honor: She's the alumni recipient of the 2012 Outstanding Women ... More >>

Urban camping ban: Denver Police Department promises restraint in enforcement

At a city council meeting yesterday afternoon, Police Chief Robert White outlined what he called a "passive" plan for the Denver Police Department to enforce the urban camping ban if it is passed. As drafted, the strategy calls for law enforcement to partner with outreach workers, and White promises ... More >>

Police misconduct: New review commander suggested suspension for DeHerrera officers

In the past month, the Denver Police Department has institutionalized numerous changes aimed at increasing the efficiency of its internal reviews and encouraging the public to put faith in the results. According to Police Chief Robert White and Manager of Safety Alex Martinez, this is a very, very g ... More >>

Police department creates new position to cut down layers of review, streamline process

Denver Police Chief Robert White has appointed Michael Battista to the post of Conduct Review Commander; he will head all reviews of police misconduct. In announcing the appointment, White said he hoped the new structure would cut down review time by at least 50 percent. With the new addition, the D ... More >>

Occupy Denver: ACLU demands formal investigation of police conduct, pepper ball guns

This morning, the ACLU of Colorado requested a formal investigation of the Denver Police Department's conduct with Occupy Denver during the past six and a half months. The complaint, delivered to Police Chief Robert White and the Office of the Independent Monitor, cites both First Amendment freedoms ... More >>

Jess Vigil named to new Department of Safety position to oversee police discipline

In an attempt to improve the public's trust in the police and the department's disciplinary review system, Manager of Safety Alex Martinez announced the creation of a new position within his office. Former district and country judge Jess Vigil will join the police review process as the deputy manage ... More >>

Denver Police realignment: Positive step or deck-chairs reshuffling?

In speaking with us about law-enforcement response to this weekend's Fuck the Police march, Denver Police Department spokesman Lieutenant Matt Murray quoted Chief Robert White, the DPD's new boss, as saying, "We have a good department he wants to make great. He has not found a culture of excessive f ... More >>

Reader: Can Denver Police Chief Robert White squelch "Send in the Clowns"?

Our post about a Denver Police Department press conference apology for giving special treatment to Representative Laura Bradford following a traffic stop featured a DPD spokesman describing the act as symbolic of new police chief Robert White's commitment to transparency. One reader hopes it's true ... More >>

Robert White is a business-as-usual police chief, letter from Denver cops charges

"Where is the change?" asks a letter outlining a series of disappointing, business-as-usual moves by new Denver Police Chief Robert White. It was signed by "Men and Women of the Denver Police Department" and sent yesterday to Mayor Michael Hancock's office, which was scrambling last night to find a ... More >>

Denver Police Department headquarters to cut hours in 2012 to "streamline workforce"

Denver Police Department headquarters, the behemoth building at 1331 Cherokee Street, will cut its hours in 2012 in order to "streamline the department's workforce," the department announced this week. Starting Sunday, January 1, the lobby will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. That's quite a cut-back; ... More >>

Occupy Denver: Police return to enforce anti-encumbrances ordinance on a nightly basis

In the week since Occupy Denver was evicted on December 21, the Denver Police Department has kept Chief Robert White's promise to remove any and all structures on a daily basis. Last night, this feat involved nine officers, eight police cars, two Public Works trucks and one arrest when police visite ... More >>

Updated: Occupy Denver's latest eviction ends in flames, arrests and Tebowing

​Update, 12:50 p.m. December 21: The criminal charges of the nine protesters arrested during Monday night's raid include arson, obstructing a street and throwing missiles. Among them, one name stands out: Nicole Sisneros, a homeless protester who was discussed on last night's episode of Countd ... More >>

City on Occupy Denver: "If a structure goes up today, it comes down today"

Mayor Hancock.Last night's Occupy Denver eviction is unlikely to be the last one in the near future. In a statement on the subject, Mayor Michael Hancock supported the city's actions and cited the now commonly repeated concerns of public safety and access. Accompanied by new Police Chief Robert Whit ... More >>

Occupy Denver: Civic Center Conservancy says park can't sustain habitation (photos)

Friday marked a stark contrast between the polite Civic Center Park of yesterday and its new protest version 2.0. In the center of the park, the Civic Center Conservancy held a belated birthday party for the park's greatest supporter, former Denver Mayor Robert Speer. And in the front of the park, p ... More >>

Occupy Denver: Meeting with Police Chief ends (again) with warning to remove encumbrances

Chief Robert White.​To sum it up briefly, Occupy Denver's meeting with Police Chief Robert White this afternoon lasted less than an hour and ended without any decisions or a consensus, but the main issue remained unresolved: whether there would be a police raid on the camp to remove its built- ... More >>

Occupy Denver greeted by Police Chief Robert White while awaiting eviction

Robert White.Update, 4 p.m.: Public Works announced it is "re-evaluating" its plan to evict Occupy Denver. For the moment, Denver Public Works is backing away from its plan to remove structures from Occupy Denver's encampment at Civic Center Park. After receiving a warning notice to remove the fort ... More >>

Marijuana advocate on dubbing of Denver Police Chief Robert White as Captain Cannabis

Bigger pic below.​Although the Medical Marijuana Assistance Program of America (MMAPA) is a serious organization, the group recently sent out an apparently silly release -- a suggestion that marijuana advocates adopt as their mascot a photo illustration of incoming Denver Police Chief Robert W ... More >>

Reader: New Denver Police Chief Robert White saying the right things -- but will he do them?

Robert White.​New Denver Police Chief Robert White acknowledges that he's got a big job ahead of him when it comes to building a positive relationship between residents and the local force. The following post from a doubting reader demonstrates just how large the challenge will be.

Robert White will be Denver's next police chief, and Gerry Whitman will not be his PIO

Chief Robert White.​Mayor Michael Hancock's choice for Denver's new police chief, Robert White, was introduced at a hastily convened press conference at City Hall on Saturday. The announcement of Hancock's pick for this most-watched post had been moved up several days because the news of Whit ... More >>

Project Nim and five other bizarre (and unethical) experiments people have performed on monkeys

Poor chimp.​ In the early 1970s, behavioral psychologist Herbert Terrace designed an experiment to discover whether chimps could use language. At the center of the experiment was Nim Chimpsky, a chimpanzee raised in different homes, taught sign language and eventually brought back to the labo ... More >>

What Was Going On

At long last, the spotlight replaces the Shadows that obscured the Funk Brothers.