DENVER (KDVR) — A judge has decided against reducing bond for Matthew Dolloff, the unlicensed security guard charged with murder after shooting a man at a rally.
The shooting happened Oct. 11 during a Patriot muster at Civic Center Park while Dolloff was providing protection for a 9NEWS crew. Video shows an argument between Lee Keltner and another man, with Keltner then turning and engaging with Dolloff. Simultaneously Dolloff fired his gun and Keltner discharged OC spray. Keltner died from the gunshot.
On Oct. 19, Dolloff was charged with second-degree murder. The charges were filed at the district court level. His bond was set at $500,000.
Valerie Cole, the public defender who is representing Dolloff, argued that Dolloff’s bond should be reduced to $25,000-$50,000 cash, property or surety bonds.
She said under normal circumstances, she would request a personal recognizance bond on his behalf because “it’s clear he was and did act in defense of himself and in defense of another.” However, she said she understood the significance of the charge against Dolloff when making her request.
In the judge’s letter denying the bail reduction, he said this is not apparent given the current evidence.
“The evidence of which the Court is presently aware appears to show that, at the time of the shooting, there was no danger from the victim that placed the Defendant or anyone else in imminent risk of death or great bodily injury,” District Court Judge John W. Madden IV said.
Madden’s ruling appears to hinge on the risk of Dolloff not appearing in court for future hearings.
“Although the Defendant’s employment is potentially still available to him, it would involve him working again as a security guard, and the charges in this case arise directly from the Defendant’s actions in his role as such. Such employment is not acceptable under the circumstances.
“Further, the Defendant and his family have apparently received serious death threats, and the family has had to keep their location secret. The other types of potential employment suggested by the defense would not appear to be feasible in light of that situation.1
“Additionally, although the Defendant has family in the state, he also has strong family ties to 1 Maximum supervision by Pretrial Services will be imposed in this case, which would also effectively preclude the Defendant from working in any event. 3 individuals outside of the state.
“Lastly in this regard, the residence where the Defendant would live while on bond does not have a land line which inhibits the ability for the Defendant to be subject to GPS monitoring while on bond.
“The most significant factors increasing the risk of nonappearance are the potential sentence and the likelihood of conviction, which are components of the statutory factor of the likely sentence. The Defendant placed significant emphasis on the risk of conviction in arguing for a reduction of the amount of the bond in this matter.“