A private security guard who was accused of shooting and killing a right-wing protester in downtown Denver in 2020 has had the second-degree murder against him dropped because prosecutors agree that the guard acted in self-defense, The Denver Post reports.
Matthew Dolloff, 32, shot Lee Keltner, 49, in the aftermath of a “Patriot Rally” in which Dolloff was protecting a team from the 9News network in 2020. The which was caught on camera, started when Keltner became angry about being filmed and started swearing at the news crew.
Dolloff stepped in to separate them and try to deescalate the situation. But Keltner slapped Dolloff in the face and attempted to discharge a can of bear spray he was holding, leading to a confrontation between the two. Dolloff then shot Keltner.
Dolloff was immediately arrested and later charged with second-degree murder. On Thursday, however, prosecutors dropped charges against Dolloff after concluding they weren’t beyond doubt that he was acting in self-defense, according to The Denver Post.
“I’m just really happy for Matt and his family that the DA finally realized what we’d known all along,” Dolloff’s attorney, Doug Richards said.
