Raul Gomez-Garcia called Denver Det. Donald Young a “racist” and swore at him hours before authorities say Gomez-Garcia fatally ambushed Young, according to testimony today during the suspect’s preliminary hearing.
Denver Det. Martin Vigil said the exchange on May 8, 2005 at the Salon Ocampo social hall occurred after Young refused to let Gomez-Garcia into an invitation-only party.
Young and his partner, John “Jack” Bishop were in full uniform, but working off-duty when they were ambushed about 1 a.m. as they provided security at a baptismal party at the hall.
Witnesses said Young warned Gomez-Garcia that if he didn’t leave, he’d call police and have Gomez-Garcia arrested.
Then, Vigil said, witnesses said Young grabbed Gomez-Garcia by the arm and throat and escorted the 20-year-old man from the hall at 1733 W. Mississippi Ave.
Testimony today showed that several witnesses reported that Gomez-Garcia was so upset he vowed to go back to the hall and shoot Young.
His girlfriend, Sandra Rivas, told police that after the shooting, Gomez-Garcia admitted to her he shot the officer but only meant to “scare” him.
Capt. Michael Calo testified that he was working across the street from Young and Bishop when they were shot.
“It was horrific,” he said.
“He (Bishop) looked like he lost his best friend,” Calo said.
Vigil said that in Mexico, where he was captured, Gomez-Garcia told Mexican police, “he was just trying to scare the officers to shoot at their feet.”
He also told Mexican authorities he had discarded the murder weapon in the desert as he drove to Las Vegas from Colorado.
However, defense attorney Fernando Freyre said during the hearing that police have the wrong man.
Freyre said that a number of witnesses who saw the shooting described the gunman as thinner than Gomez-Garcia and that there were “alternate suspects” that may have shot Young but who not been thoroughly investigated by police.
The hearing was to continue during the afternoon.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
