Denver police shot and killed a man early Wednesday after he “charged” at officers with a knife and meat cleaver, they said.
Police were called about 1:45 a.m. Wednesday to the Stapleton neighborhood on a report of a family disturbance, said Sonny Jackson, a Denver Police Department spokesman.
When officers arrived at 2707 Ulster St., a man later identified as Zak Edward Reeves, 35, who was armed with a knife and a meat cleaver, “charged” at them, Jackson said.
“Officers gave ground and gave verbal commands,” but the man remained agitated, Jackson said.
One officer fired a “less lethal” round — a large rubber ball — in an attempt to stop him but it didn’t work, Jackson said.
Reeves kept coming at police until an officer fired one shot with his handgun “to stop the threat,” Jackson said.
Reeves was taken to University of Colorado Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The name of the officer who fired the fatal shot was not released. The initial disturbance and shooting are under investigation.
Reeves had a lengthy criminal record and was recently released from the Department of Corrections.
A neighbor across the street from the scene of the shooting said a couple with children live in the neatly kept two-story home, which has a white picket fence along the front yard. Children’s toys, including a couple of silver scooters, were stacked on the front porch.
No one answered the door Wednesday. The Reeves family could not be reached directly for comment but did release a statement through a spokeswoman.
“We are devastated by our loss and hope everyone will respect our privacy during this very difficult time,” the statement read.
Liz Kegg, a neighbor, said she heard her family’s dog barking about 2 a.m. and a short time later an officer knocked at the door to tell them about the incident.
Kegg said she didn’t hear gunshots and didn’t see the incident unfold, just officers and police cars afterward on the typically quiet street.
“It’s incredibly sad and tragic,” Kegg said of the incident.
Kegg said the family has lived at the home about seven years and were original owners in the Stapleton neighborhood.
Police spokesman Jackson said officers have been called to the home “very few” times and the calls were “nothing major.”
Police did not release a reason why the man was armed and combative.
According to Colorado Bureau of Investigation records, Reeves had an arrest sheet dating to 1994, including a 2006 theft conviction for which he was sentenced to 18 months in the Department of Corrections.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com
