Matthew Dolloff formally charged with second-degree murder
The Denver district attorney formally filed second-degree murder charges Monday morning against Matthew Dolloff, the man accused of shooting a demonstration attendee after opposing protests on Oct. 10 in Civic Center Park.
Dolloff had been contracted to provide private security for 9News, a Denver Gazette news partner, but it has since come to light that Dolloff does not have a license to work as a private security guard.
The victim has been identified as 49-year-old Lee Keltner. He owned custom Western hattery Crossfire Hats.
The Denver Post reported Saturday that Keltner had not long been known for his strong stances on politics, but he had recently started attending demonstrations in support of law enforcement as it has come under fire.
He was also a member of the motorcycle community, 9News has reported.
Dolloff has been held without bail since the shooting.
William Boyle, an attorney for Keltner’s family, sent a statement in response to Thursday’s announcement of the charges against Dolloff.
“The Keltners look forward to justice for Lee and the charges of 2nd Degree Murder against Mr. Dolloff announced today by the District Attorney are the first step in that direction,” reads the statement.
“As they fight for justice, the Keltners hope that Lee is remembered as a father, grandfather, a husband, and a Colorado artisan. They appreciate your privacy and compassion during this time of mourning.”
The confrontation that ended with Dolloff fatally shooting Keltner occurred after a “Patriot Muster” rally and a “BLM-Antifa Soup Drive” in Civic Center Park as attendees of the two events dispersed at the end of the afternoon.
In a statement sent to media outlets last week, Pinkerton said it did not employ Dolloff and that he instead worked for a third-party company.
9News has said staff members accompanied by Dolloff at the rallies did not know he was armed.
Defense attorney Doug Richards told the Denver Post last week that Dolloff acted in self-defense when he shot Keltner.
The Denver Police Department said after the shooting, it found two guns at the scene, but have declined to say who the second firearm belonged to.
If Dolloff is found guilty of second-degree murder, it carries a mandatory sentence of 16 to 48 years, according to a statement last announcing the charges from the office of Denver District Attorney Beth McCann.
Last week, police released a probable cause statement for Dolloff’s arrest with several names redacted.
Videos taken by a 9News producer and another bystander also shed light on the moments leading to the shooting.
The video shows Keltner in a confrontation with a man wearing a T-shirt that reads, “Black Guns Matter.”
That man’s identity was redacted in the affidavit. A third man, whose name is also redacted, tries to break up the argument and physically places himself between Keltner and the unidentified man.
The video shows Keltner pulling out a can of pepper spray or mace.
The man wearing the Black Guns Matter T-shirt is heard saying, “Get the cameras out of here or I’m going to (expletive) you up.”
Keltner and Dolloff are then shown in a confrontation before the 9News producer’s video ends.
The posted video states the producer stopped recording for 12 seconds and the shooting occurred in that period.
The video then includes footage taken by another observer showing the moment of the shooting.
The camera angle is much farther away than the producer’s video and it does not have sound, but it shows a cloud of mace or pepper spray sprayed by Keltner and Keltner collapsing after Dolloff’s gunshot.
When the producer’s video resumes, he tells responding police that he is with the media and says of Keltner, “That guy was going to get me” and “He maced him so that’s when he shot him.”





