Sunday night in Denver’s Central Park neighborhood turned tense in a hurry as police ordered some residents to shelter in place after reports of an armed suspect in the area. People living in the affected blocks were instructed to stay inside, move away from windows, and let officers do the door-to-door work outside. Police said the order would stay in effect until they had a clearer read on where the suspect might be, and neighbors were urged to follow directions as the situation developed.
What the police say
According to CBS News Colorado, Denver police confirmed that a shelter-in-place order was issued near the Central Park neighborhood and “will remain in effect until they learn more about the suspect’s possible location.” Video from the scene showed a noticeable police presence in the area, though officials kept a tight lid on specifics. As of publication, officers had not released a description of the suspect.
Authorities asked residents in the immediate area to remain indoors and keep an eye out for anything out of place. Anyone who spotted suspicious activity was told to contact police while staying inside and out of harm’s way.
Central Park context
The shelter-in-place order landed in a neighborhood that has already been on edge about safety. Central Park has seen heightened concerns since the city converted a nearby hotel into a shelter, a move that some neighbors say has led to more police calls and demands for additional patrols.
Denver7 has previously reported on the hotel at 40th and Quebec and the debates it sparked over security and shelter operations. That recent history has many residents paying extra-close attention whenever squad cars show up on their block.
Alerts and communication
Emergency messaging has been a sore spot for some Denver residents in recent weeks. Earlier this month, in a separate incident, officials accidentally sent a shelter-in-place alert well beyond the intended two-block radius, pulling in far more people than needed and raising questions about how those alerts are handled…