Denver night out takes violent turn as 5 bystanders are hurt when police open fire

Five bystanders were injured when officers shot and wounded a man who allegedly pointed a handgun at police as bars emptied for the night in a neighborhood known for its nightlife early Sunday morning, police said.

Investigators were trying to determine whether the bystanders were hit by police gunfire or by ricocheting bullets or shrapnel, police said in a statement that added that the man with the gun did not appear to have fired it.

The three women and two men did not suffer life-threatening injuries in the shooting at about 1:30 a.m. in the Lower Downtown neighborhood, the statement said.

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The man accused of having the gun, Jordan Waddy, 21, was expected to survive, according to the statement.

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Officers had been patrolling the neighborhood as bars closed, saw a disturbance and confronted Waddy, who “posed a significant threat”, Police Division Chief Ron Thomas said in a video message.

Waddy was arrested for on suspicion of felony menacing and possession of a handgun by a previous offender.

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Court records said he is represented by a lawyer from the public defender’s office, which does not comment on cases.