Lawyers in the criminal case against Jordan Waddy, the man who was the catalyst in a downtown shooting by Denver police last summer that injured several people, waived his preliminary hearing Wednesday.
Waddy's arraignment, where he could enter a plea, is scheduled for Feb. 27.
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During a preliminary hearing, prosecutors present evidence to a judge to determine if enough evidence exists to send a defendant to trial. A waiver usually means defense attorneys concede enough evidence exists.
Waddy faces one count of third-degree assault, a misdemeanor, and three counts of possession of a weapon by a previous offender, felonies. A defendant enters a plea during arraignment, but these hearings commonly get rescheduled or a plea agreement is reached beforehand. If a defendant pleads not-guilty, a trial date is set.
The shooting on July 17 happened in the early hours of the morning as people left bars in Denver's Lower Downtown (LoDo) neighborhood. According to an indictment of one police officer facing charges in the incident, the shooting unfolded after officers attempted to talk to Waddy, now 22, after he got into a fight with another person outside the Larimer Beer Hall.
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Police claim Waddy brandished a gun at officers, and three officers opened fire — injuring Waddy and several bystanders. Body camera footage appeared to show Waddy throwing his gun as the shooting unfolded, and he has not been charged with threatening the officers with the firearm.
Denver Police Officer Brandon Ramos has been criminally charged in connection with the shooting. The actions of two other Denver officers were found legally justified, according to a grand jury indictment.