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DENVER (AP) — A judge has granted a request by prosecutors to drop a second-degree murder charge against a former television station security guard who shot and killed a pro-police demonstrator following protests in downtown Denver in 2020.
The Denver Post reports that District Judge Brian Whitney granted the request Monday to drop the charge against 32-year-old Matthew Dolloff. Dolloff had pleaded not guilty in the shooting death of 49-year-old Lee Keltner during a confrontation after a "Patriot Muster" demonstration and another by left-leaning counter-protesters. Keltner had participated in the "Patriot Muster" rally before he was slain.
Dolloff's attorneys argued he shot Keltner in self-defense. Dolloff had been hired by KUSA-TV to protect a producer covering the protests.