Gerald Darden Jr. shrugged.

"What did you expect?" Darden asked, referring to a grand jury's decision not to indict a police officer for fatally shooting a sickly 63-year-old Frank Lobato in his bed. "That's the way it is, and that's the way it's going to be."

Other former neighbors and family members of Lobato expressed outrage at District Attorney Bill Ritter's announcement on Wednesday that a grand jury did not indict officer Ranjan Ford Jr.cq

On July 11, Ford climbed through an upstairs window and shot Lobato, mistaking a soda can he held for a weapon. Police were there on a domestic violence call for Lobato's nephew, who lived at the home with his wife.

Wednesday afternoon, Lobato's brother Victor, 70, was shocked to hear of the grand jury's decision.


"Wow, that's really disappointing," said Victor Lobato, who lives in Denver. "I expected some kind of charge. I'm sure the city's still going to have to pay for that wrongful death."

Lobato said he questioned whether his brother's repeated homelessness played a role in the lack of an indictment.

"I'm sure they looked at everything and decided he was just another street person," he said. "I don't think that's fair at all."

Christina Gomez, cqthe mother of three of Lobato's children, echoed Victor's disappointment.

"We were hoping for them to indict (Ford)," said Gomez, who lives in Sacramento, Calif. "He was totally in the wrong. I don't know how they can allow him to get away with it.

"That was a human life he took."

Neighbors said the shooting has had frightening repercussions for their children.

Christy Shinbara, 28, said that when police officers offered her 5-year-old daughter a police badge sticker 5-year-old daughter at a neighborhood event, her daughter hid behind her and trembled in fear.

"Kids around here are terrified of cops," Shinbara said.

On Wednesday afternoon, almost five months to the day after the fatal shooting, fragments of police tape could still be seen on the door of the west Denver home where Lobato lived with his nephew.

Two homeless men who were digging into a row of trash bins nearby apartment complex said they were not surprised that no charges were brought against the officer.

"It's all about the shield," said Michael Deal, 36, who referred to himself as a canner. "If you've got the badge, you've got the power. We don't like cops because of this."

shortly after Ritter's announcement.

"If it was us we'd be going to prison," Sena said. "It's not right."

Johnny Crespin, 33cq, a homeless man who remembered standing in soup lines with Lobato, said Lobato deserved better.

"He was a good man," Crespin said. "If he had a dollar he'd give you 75 cents."

Lobato's niece, Maxine Martinezcq, still lives in the complex. The 26-year-old said she was disgusted that no charges were brought against Ford.

"This is crazy," Martinez said. "Anybody could get killed over something like this."

Two things:

1. WHY was the cop climbing through an upstairs window? Isn't it standard practice to knock on the door or ring the doorbell or something?

2. HOW the f*ck can you mistake a soda can for a weapon?

Something smells rotten here...and of course the rent-a-cop will never get in trouble for it, thanks to an uncaring jury. :(

Wow... what an idiot.  >:(

Cops getting away with stuff is not an unusual occurence.  None of this is a surprise to me

Or cops getting away with beating up bar patrons and racial slurs.  >:(
Cops getting away with stuff is not an unusual occurence.  None of this is a surprise to me

Two things:

1. WHY was the cop climbing through an upstairs window? Isn't it standard practice to knock on the door or ring the doorbell or something?

2. HOW the f*ck can you mistake a soda can for a weapon?

Something smells rotten here...and of course the rent-a-cop will never get in trouble for it, thanks to an uncaring jury. :(
As I worked yesterday I listened to 850 KOA and this very topic was discussed. They actually had the DA on and all he did was repeatedely claim that there wasn't suffecient evedence to convict the cop! The host asked over and over what the hell that meant and for the guy to please explain....things got pretty heated and the DA hung up!! Not only do I think the cop should be convicted but the DA as well >:(

Power corrupts.. Absoloute Power corrupts Absoloutley. Cops don't really (in practise) answer to anybody, and even when they are in the wrong, it will be covered up so the Police force dosen't look bad. There are a lot of great cops.. however all it takes is 1 or 2 in each Precint.

My parents 'had' a friend who is a cop, when he started he was a really cool guy, he let me play with his Hat and handcuffs and things (in england they still wear big hats) and i remember him sitting down with me and helping me go over my spelling and math when i was a kid. He grew to be more and more of a jerk and eventually nobody spoke to him or invited him anywhere because he would act like a total asshole.

Now he works kinda part time as a cop, he does nowhere near as much.. he is a nicer guy, he has started to be invited to things again and dosent act like a total jerk.