DENVER (KDVR) — Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen, Mayor Michael Hancock and Executive Director of Public Safety Murphy Robinson addressed security surrounding the All-Star Game following the arrests of four people on gun and drug charges.
Denver leaders are also providing updates on safety measures for MLB All-Star Week.
Three men and a woman facing gun and drug charges after police seized several guns from two rooms in the Maven Hotel in downtown Denver near Coors Field, were scheduled to appear before a judge for the first time Sunday afternoon.
Richard Platt, 42, Gabriel Rodriguez, 48, and Ricardo Rodriguez, 44, were arrested on the investigation of possession of a weapon by a previous offender.
Platt and Rodriguez are also facing charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Platt also had a warrant from another jurisdiction.
Forty-three-year-old Kanoelehua Serikawa is being investigated for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, and had a warrant from another jurisdiction.
Denver police point to a tip from the public that lead to these arrests. FOX31’s Nicole Fierro spoke to witnesses who indicated a hotel maid stumbled upon a room with cash and guns, and alerted authorities.
“They said they heard a maid walked into the hotel room and she saw a bunch of guns laid out,” said hotel guest Jacob Voell. “Then they found a white SUV on the road and all doors were unlocked and there was a laptop on the dashboard open, so it was a very suspicious vehicle.”
A local TV station in Denver reported police were fearful of a “Las Vegas-style shooting.” When asked directly about whether or not that was in fact a concern, or if there was any evidence to support this fear, Pazen was non-committal.
“We don’t make it a practice to rule things out,” Pazen said. “When you’re talking about an investigation, you want to make sure that you’re looking at every possible angle. What I can say is we have recovered weapons and we have recovered narcotics. Anything beyond that speculating as to what an individuals intent is, I can’t do that. We can’t do that.”
When asked if there was anything to indicate this was a planned mass shooting, Pazen said “those would be details that are part of an investigation.”
Hancock did not shy away from addressing some of the sourced reporting out there.
“If you are speaking with someone as a source who’s not directly related to this investigation, it might behoove you to hold onto that information, because what we don’t need is alternative facts and misinformation being shared with the public that does not help the investigation or the credibility of the investigation or the public’s sense of confidence,” Hancock said.
The FBI office in Denver said Sunday there is no reason to believe the Maven Hotel incident was connected to terrorism or a threat directed at the All-Star Game.
Although police sources did confirm they found body armor in the room, FBI Denver tweeted that they are not aware of any threat to the All-Star Game events, venues, players or the community at this time.
“As is the case w/major special events, the FBI works closely with our law enforcement partners in preparation for & in support of public safety during these events. We continue to encourage the public to report any suspicious activity to law enforcement,” FBI Denver said.
