Protests escalating into violent situations were all the rage in 2020, and unfortunately there was no shortage of related deaths. On the self-defense side of the scales, the most visible incident was that of Kyle Rittenhouse, of course. But the shooting of aggressive protestor Lee Keltner by security guard Matthew Dolloff certainly made waves in the news when it happened.
Looks like Denver prosecutors have [finally] decided this was such a clear-cut case of self-defense that they’re dropping all charges. From CBS4 Denver:
“I can confirm that having fully considered the facts and circumstances surrounding the charges, today we informed Lee Keltner’s family members that we will soon dismiss the criminal case against Matthew Dolloff. In line with our ethical obligations, we cannot overcome the legal justifications of self-defense or defense of others. We are not able to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt,” stated Carolyn Tyler, Communications Director for the Denver District Attorney’s Office.
This was an interesting case as 2020 went, in that the decedent appeared to have been part of a right-wing, counter-BLM protest. Politics have no party when it comes to justified self-defense, though I do wonder how the cookie would have crumbled should Dolloff have shot someone on the other side of the political spectrum.
