Update: Two people have been arrested in the April 24 shooting death of Charles Edward Harris; see our previous coverage below.
The pair in custody are Daryl Thompson Sr. and Daryl Thompson Jr. They're a father and son reportedly nicknamed Big Mad Dog and Little Mad Dog.
The elder Thompson has plenty of gang arrests on his record -- but is he also a born-again Christian and anti-gang activist?
As we've reported, Harris was shot to death at a home near the intersection of 38th and Grape. The original Denver Police Department release about the crime referred to a single suspect who allegedly shot Harris during an argument and fled the scene -- but as noted above, two people have been arrested in connection with the crime.
A probable cause statement cited by the Denver Post provides more detail. According to the document, Harris struck Thompson in the face during an argument at a home , then headed to a nearby liquor store on East 38th Avenue -- presumably Vinny's Liquor, at East 38th and Holly. Its address is seen in this 2011 Google Maps image:
The two Thompsons are said to have walked up behind Harris, with the younger Daryl sending a bullet into Harris and firing additional shots even after he had collapsed.
A witness saw what happened, and Thompson Sr. allegedly told him, "You better not...tell anybody."
This line presumably accounts for two of the charges for which Daryl Sr. is being investigated -- intimidation of a witness and tampering with a witness. He's also suspected of first-degree murder and accessory to a crime. Meanwhile, Daryl Jr. is being held on investigation of first-degree murder.
7News reveals that Daryl Sr. has a busy rap sheet, with busts dating back to 1989, when he was busted for auto theft at age nineteen. His other arrests include attempted murder, domestic violence and obstructing police, plus eleven assault beefs.
But does he have another side to him? During a web search, we came upon a Denver Post article about a May 2012 daylight shooting at Bruce Randolph and York Street that killed two people, Justin O'Donnell and Deon Rudd. You may recall controversy over the incident, because it drew a large crowd whose members were shocked that the body of at least one victim was left in the street for hours after the crime.
The Post article jumps out due to a mention of a man named Daryl Thompson, who identified himself as a former gang member. Here's an excerpt:
Daryl Thompson, a neighborhood gang member from 1984 until he became a born-again Christian in 2001, spoke to older women in the crowd telling them to calm their sons.
He gave each one his cellphone number and begged them to have their sons contact him so he could steer them into a gang-prevention program.
"It's going to go down this summer," he said, only raising one eyebrow when asked to explain "it."
Could this be the same Daryl Thompson? We've got a call into the Denver Police Department and will update this item when we hear back.
Continue for our previous coverage of Charles Edward Harris's violent death. Update, 2:34 p.m. April 25: The victim in a shooting last night near the intersection of 38th and Grape has been named.
The Denver coroner's office identifies him as Charles Edward Harris, a 37-year-old African-American. The autopsy on Harris is being performed today, but it's unlikely that the cause of death will come as a surprise. The corner notes that he had been "shot multiple times" and failed to respond to treatment at an area hospital. A suspect has been arrested in the case but not ID'd at this writing. Previous coverage below.
Update, 10:53 a.m. April 25: The Denver Police Department has just announced that a suspect has been arrested in the homicide that took place last night at a home near the intersection of 38th and Grape. Cops say the victim and the suspect (neither ID'd yet) had an argument when the latter pulled a gun and shot the former. The suspect then fled but was busted several hours later and is being held on investigation of first-degree murder.
Continue for our previous coverage, including photos and video.
Original post, 9:54 a.m. April 25: Overnight, a SWAT team surrounded and later entered a northeast Denver home.
The reason? A suspect in a fatal shooting that took place not far away, near the intersection of 38th and Grape, was believed to be inside.
He wasn't, and police still don't know where to find him. Get details and see a video and an interactive graphic below.
Here's the first tweet about the situation sent out last night by the Denver Police Department:
BREAKING: Shooting at 38th & Grape. One adult male sustained gunshot wound (GSW). No suspect info- suspect at large. Rd closures in the area
— Denver Police Dept (@DenverPolice) April 25, 2013
Moments later came this addendum:
UPDATE: Victim of shooting at 38th & Grape is in critical condition.
— Denver Police Dept (@DenverPolice) April 25, 2013
Within hours, however, the message was contradicted by this one:
UPDATE: Victim from last night's shooting died at the hospital. Homicide detectives are now investigating. No suspect info available.
— Denver Police Dept (@DenverPolice) April 25, 2013
The shooting is said to have taken place around 9 p.m. at the 38th and Grape address. Afterward, cops believed the suspect was at an address on the 3600 block of Hudson. They barricaded the home and closed off streets in the vicinity before busting in around 3 a.m.
The suspect wasn't there, but police searched and presumably gathered evidence while inside.
As the tweet above notes, the police aren't sharing anything about a potential suspect at this point -- meaning the killer is still at large. The case is being treated as a homicide.
Here's a 9News update about the case, followed by an interactive graphic of the area near the crime scene. If you have problems seeing the image, click "View Larger Map."
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