A man armed with a box cutter who was fatally shot in an apparent “make my day” case has been identified by authorities.
Joseph Bryant, 50, was shot early Friday at a home in the 1600 block of Jamaica Street in Aurora.
The Adams County Coroner’s Office identified Bryant this week.
Aurora police said Bryant was an intruder in the home and was struggling with a man in the living room when the homeowner shot him.
Investigators believe the homeowner committed no crime and acted within Colorado law.
The Adams County district attorney’s office also will look at the case.
The Colorado legislature passed the state’s “make my day” law in 1985. It is designed to shield residents from prosecution if they use deadly force to protect themselves against intruders.
The law says a resident of a home must “reasonably” believe the “other person might use any physical force, no matter how slight, against any occupant.”
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com
