Matthew Neal Mitchell, a 22-year-old White male, died on July 24, 2022, after Englewood police returned fire during a standoff at a family home on South Grove Street. Officers had been dispatched that evening on a call for a suicidal person, and as they arrived, gunfire came from inside the residence, prompting police to seek cover and return shots.
Mitchell, who was inside the home, was struck and later died of his injuries, according to the coroner’s identification and police statements released in the days that followed.
Investigative records described a chaotic scene centered on Mitchell’s older brother, Phillip L. Blankenship. An arrest affidavit detailed how an officer sheltering behind a car in the driveway heard a voice say “give me a minute” before shots were fired from a bedroom, and then additional rounds were directed at another officer, triggering police to shoot back. The affidavit emphasized that Mitchell did not fire at officers; the gunfire originated with Blankenship, in the same room where Mitchell had been.
In the immediate aftermath, Englewood police announced that Blankenship had been arrested and booked on suspicion of attempted first-degree murder in connection with firing on officers during the incident. The department also noted that the officers who discharged their weapons were placed on administrative leave, standard procedure while an outside team conducted a use-of-force review. City updates and local reporting confirmed the location as 5007 South Grove Street and reiterated that responding officers had been met with gunfire when they arrived on the suicidal person call.
Months later, the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office concluded that the Englewood officer whose rounds likely struck Mitchell was justified and would not face criminal charges. The decision letter stated that Mitchell was shot multiple times inside the home during the exchange of gunfire initiated by Blankenship, and it aligned with earlier accounts that officers had returned fire only after being shot at from within the house. The finding closed the criminal inquiry into the officers, even as Mitchell’s family publicly sought answers about how a call for help for one son ended in the death of the other.
