Colorado is Among Five States with the Highest Rates of Fatal Police Shootings in the Country. Here’s What You Need to Know About Police Violence:

As police violence continues to impact communities across the country, research makes it clear that Colorado in particular is severely impacted by fatal police shootings. Every year, police in America shoot and kill more than 1,000 people, and Colorado is among the five states with the highest rates of fatal police shootings in the country. 

Denver in particular experiences high levels of police violence, according to data from Mapping Police Violence. From 2016 to 2020, of the 25 largest cities in the United States, Denver, Colorado had the highest rate of fatal police shootings, with an average of nearly 10 fatal shootings per million residents. Research also shows that Black people in the U.S. are nearly three times more likely to be shot and killed by police than white people in the U.S.

Police violence is a form of gun violence, and it is essential that law enforcement agencies adopt meaningful use of force policies, which encourage de-escalation, utilize early intervention systems, and ensure that officers who act in a manner that is criminally negligent can be held accountable.
In an average year, 850 people die and 466 people are wounded by guns in Colorado. Each year, 171 people are wounded by guns in a firearm assault or shooting by police in Colorado. Learn more about police violence and gun violence here.