Mark Beckner, Boulder Police Chief, To Meet With Mapleton Residents About Elk Shot By Cops

Boulder Police Chief To Meet With Neighborhood About Elk Shot By Cops
Boulder, Colorado Police Chief Mark Beckner waits to testify against a bill that would allow deadly force against an intruder at a business before the House Judiciary Committee at the Capitol on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012. The proposed bill would allow Colorado business owners and employees the right to use deadly force against suspected intruders. The bill dubbed "Make My Day Better" expands legal protections to businesses like what Colorado homeowners have under a law nicknamed "Make My Day." (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)
Boulder, Colorado Police Chief Mark Beckner waits to testify against a bill that would allow deadly force against an intruder at a business before the House Judiciary Committee at the Capitol on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012. The proposed bill would allow Colorado business owners and employees the right to use deadly force against suspected intruders. The bill dubbed "Make My Day Better" expands legal protections to businesses like what Colorado homeowners have under a law nicknamed "Make My Day." (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

Boulder police chief Mark Beckner will meet this afternoon with residents of the Mapleton Hill neighborhood regarding shooting of an elk by one of his officers on New Year's Day at Mapleton Avenue and Ninth Street.

The meeting will take place at 1 p.m. at the Boulder Public Safety Building, 1805 33rd St. Boulder police spokeswoman Kim Kobel said the meeting was requested by residents of the Mapleton neighborhood.

Beckner also plans to address the Boulder City Council at the beginning of Tuesday's regular meeting. The council meets at 6 p.m. in the Boulder Municipal Building, 1777 Broadway.

Two Boulder police officers -- Sam Carter and Brent Curnow -- have been placed on paid leave as the Boulder Police Department conducts an internal investigation into the shooting.

According to police, an officer on patrol near Mapleton and Ninth shot the elk with a shotgun late Tuesday night after he said it appeared to be injured, with a limp and some of its antlers broken off. An off-duty officer then arrived to haul away the elk and process it for meat.

Neighbors told the Camera that officers informed them they planned to put down the elk because of reports it had been behaving aggressively and not to be alarmed if they heard a gunshot. One woman said she saw the animal a few hours before it was killed, and it was not limping.

The officer did not file a report or notify dispatchers about the incident.

A photo taken by a resident in the area shows Carter posing with the elk. Boulder police did not specify whether Carter or Curnow shot the animal, but did say that the on-duty officer was the one who took the shot. Carter was on duty the night of the shooting and Curnow was not, according to police records.

A Boulder County Sheriff's Office deputy also is under investigation for his role in the incident. Cmdr. Rick Brough said the deputy -- who was not placed on leave and has not been publicly identified -- helped load the elk into a truck. ___

(c)2013 the Daily Camera (Boulder, Colo.)

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Distributed by MCT Information Services

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