DENVER—A man charged with murder in the shooting death of a Denver police officer at an outdoor concert last summer pleaded guilty to a lesser charge Friday.
Rollin Oliver pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and faces at least 16 years in prison when he is sentenced at a hearing scheduled for June 21, The Denver Post reported ().
Oliver, now 22, was accused of fatally shooting officer Celena Hollis when he fired into a crowd at a jazz concert in City Park last June. His attorneys said he was being pursued by gang members when he drew his weapon and fired.
Prosecutors dropped a charge of first-degree murder with extreme indifference for human life in exchange for Oliver’s guilty plea.
Investigators say Hollis, 32, was rushing to break up a fight when she was killed.
Hollis was a single mother raising a daughter and had been a Detroit police officer before she joined the Denver Police Department in 2005. She also served as president of the Denver Police Department Black Police Officers Organization.
A fellow Denver officer said Hollis’ parents and sister lived in Denver, and Hollis was happy to come to the city, which she considered safer than Detroit.
A 5-kilometer run and walk was held at City Park last Sunday in Hollis’ memory. Her family created a community outreach organization called the Celena Hollis Foundation.
