'Do better': East Colfax community begs Denver Police for help after Ma Kaing's murder
Emotions and resentment boiled over Wednesday as residents of the East Colfax corridor near 13th Avenue and Xenia Street implored Denver police and public safety officials to provide them with more support and safety. This follows the July 15 murder of community leader Ma Kaing.
"Please, you all got to do better," said one resident at the community meeting. Representatives from the Denver Police Department, fire department, Denver 911, paramedic division and several politicians met with a standing room-only crowd at the Hidden Brook apartment building where the mother of four lived until her death. She was struck by a stray bullet on a Friday night as she returned home from work.
The shot was believed to have been fired from a park across the street. Her son, John Kaing, spoke calmly and poignantly for nearly 30 minutes, chastising city and public safety leaders for ignoring crime problems in the area which he said had been "going on for ages."
He said the park across the street was populated by gang members and "it's a killing ground."
Denver police have categorized the area as a "hot spot," plagued by frequent gun violence. Another man was shot and killed in the area in February.
"My mother's death was the last straw," said Kaing. He said mothers are scared, kids are scared and parents are scared about living in the neighborhood. Multiple residents recounted hearing gunshots on a nightly basis.
"Every time I park my car," said one woman. "I have heard the gunshots almost every night around the neighborhood."
Another nearby resident said, "It feels like witnessing and hearing gun battles on a daily basis. Our community is here to demand action."
John Kaing questioned if the neighborhood had been ignored because it is filled with immigrants, refugees and minorities who do not have much political clout. Some in the standing room-only crowd insisted the short shrift they believe the neighborhood receives extended to the police response to Kaing's shooting.
Sharon Knight, from Hope Communities, repeated what she said residents had told her.
"The response time was 40 minutes for EMTs to get on the scene."
But Denver's 911 director, Andrew Dameron, said computer aided dispatch logs told a different story.
"Everything we have says police got there in 5 minutes and 16 seconds."
He said paramedics arrived about a minute later. Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen announced at the meeting that the reward for information leading to Ma Kaing's killer had been increased to $10,000.
"Obviously we need to redouble our efforts," said Pazen. "Our team will work tirelessly and do everything possible to bring justice to the family and justice to the community."
He said he and his staff would return in one week to present an action plan to community members. DPD Commander Kathy Bancroft stepped up to the microphone at one point and tearfully told the crowd.
"We have to do better."