ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (KDVR) — New details have surfaced about a police-involved shooting in Englewood that left a 22-year-old man dead Sunday night. He was not the man police were looking for.
They had gone to the home on South Grove Street to look for his brother, Phillip Blankenship.
According to an arrest affidavit, 29-year-old Blankenship’s mother reported him to police as intoxicated and causing a disturbance, saying that he wanted to commit suicide and shot a gun in the house.
Police say when they arrived they tried to get him to come out of the home, but Blankenship instead fired at them and they returned fire. The alleged shooter’s brother, 22-year-old Matthew Mitchell, was instead killed in the gunfire.
Brothers’ mother disputes police shooting account
“What the cops are saying is incorrect, and you can verify that with all the neighbors here,” said Kimberley Mitchell, the mother of the brothers. “When they showed up, they did not come upon gunfire. My boys were talking in a back bedroom.”
Another relative said Englewood officers are “100%” in the wrong.
The shooting has left neighbors shaken. Chiao Lopez said her father was nearby when the gunfire started.
“He said that he saw police officers standing right here in the front yard and police officers over there. He wasn’t sure what was going on. He thought they were fireworks at first. And then he saw the police and he knew the sounds were gunshots,” Lopez said.
This is the fourth officer-involved shooting in Englewood since 2017, according to Eric Ross, the 18th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team spokesperson. The CIRT is conducting an independent investigation of the shooting.
Blankenship was arrested on attempted murder and is scheduled to appear before a judge Friday morning, where’s expected to face formal charges.
Englewood Police release statement in shooting
The officers in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave. None were hurt.
On Tuesday, the Englewood Police Department released this statement:
The Englewood Police Department has received many inquiries over the last two days requesting additional information about the officer involved shooting on Sunday (07/24/22) on S. Grove St. An update was released yesterday that Phillip Blankenship was arrested and booked into the Arapahoe County Detention Center on Criminal Attempt First Degree Murder. Official filing of charges through the 18th Judicial District by the District Attorney’s Office will occur on Friday, 07/29/22, at 9:00 a.m.
As mentioned previously, this is an active and ongoing investigation through the 18th Judicial District’s Critical Incident Response Team.
Any additional details into the shooting will be released through the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Due to this investigation being submitted to the District Attorney’s Office, Englewood P.D. will not be releasing any additional information at this time.
Englewood Police Department