DENVER (KDVR) — The deadly shooting at the Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois is raising questions again about what can be done to prevent these tragedies.
On our political program, “Colorado Point of View,” law enforcement officials talk about the difficulties behind red flag laws.
Illinois has a red flag law similar to Colorado, where family members can petition the court to have guns removed from someone’s home because they pose a threat to themselves or others.
“Imagine a family member being caught in the position to say ‘I think my son is a danger.’ That is a tough statement to make,” FOX31/Channel 2 legal analyst George Brauchler said.
Denver Police Department Chief Paul Pazen and Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith talked about how tough it can be to enforce those orders.
“We can utilize this appropriately by bringing in family members to raise concerns, community members to raise concerns to get that ball rolling,” Pazen said.
“We also have to look at times our actions could actually escalate an individual,” Smith said. “So there’s a lot of very deep discussions in any agency for what the best answer is.”
The entire episode of “Colorado Point of View” will air on Colorado’s Very Own Channel 2 this Sunday at 7:30 a.m.