In the crisp autumn air of downtown Denver on October 10, 2020, a day marked by opposing political demonstrations was drawing to a close. Lee Keltner, a 49-year-old white male, had been in attendance at a 'Patriot Rally.' A custom hat maker and a U.S. Navy veteran, Keltner was a husband, father, and grandfather. As the rallies wound down near the Denver Art Museum, the atmosphere remained charged, and a verbal confrontation erupted between Keltner and another individual.
The argument
grew heated, attracting the attention of others in the vicinity, including Matthew Dolloff. Dolloff, who was 30 at the time, was working as a private security guard contracted to accompany a local news crew that was covering the protests. As the initial verbal dispute seemed to be de-escalating, another confrontation began, this time involving Keltner and Dolloff. The situation escalated with shocking speed. Keltner was seen holding a can of pepper spray and was involved in a physical altercation with Dolloff. In a chaotic moment captured by a news photographer, Keltner struck Dolloff on the side of the head with an open hand.
Almost simultaneously, Keltner discharged his pepper spray at the same moment Dolloff drew a handgun and fired a single shot. The bullet struck Keltner, who collapsed to the ground. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but succumbed to his injuries later that afternoon. The Denver Medical Examiner would later rule his death a homicide. In the immediate aftermath, police took Dolloff into custody at the scene, recovering a semi-automatic handgun.
Matthew Dolloff was arrested and subsequently charged with second-degree murder in connection with Lee Keltner's death. The incident sparked widespread debate and legal proceedings that continued long after that fateful afternoon. The charges against Dolloff were eventually dropped in March 2022, with prosecutors stating they could not disprove his claim of self-defense beyond a reasonable doubt. The family of Lee Keltner expressed their profound grief and shock, remembering him as a proud Coloradan and an artist, his life cut short in a brief and violent encounter.
