A candlelight vigil for Harrison Owens will be held tonight at the spot where he was shot to death by a Denver police officer.
Family members and friends of the 31-year-old father of three will gather at 7:30 p.m. on the corner of Colfax Avenue and Logan Street.
Denver police say Cpl. Michael Wyatt was chasing Owens at about 1:30 a.m. Monday after a citizen flagged down the officer to say that Owens was armed and had robbed and beaten him.
Wyatt shot Owens during the chase, police said, because Owens turned with a gun in his hand while running and faced the police.
Owens was shot on the side of his shoulder blade, police said.
A review of court records shows Owens had criminal convictions for theft, false imprisonment and drug dealing and had served five years in prison.
Community activist Shareef Aleem said witnesses to the shooting have come forward with a different account than the one given by Denver police.
“Basically, the family is disputing the claim that he was running away from the police and had one arm cocked back to shoot at them,” Aleem said.
The witnesses may not be disputing that Owens was armed but say he did not motion to shoot at police first, Aleem said.
Family members said they would conduct their own investigation into what happened.
“The main purpose of the vigil is not just to gripe about the Denver Police Department but also to show Harrison was more than a drug dealer, he was a father and loved by many people,” Aleem said.
Staff writer Felisa Cardona can be reached at 303-820-1219 or fcardona@denverpost.com.