In the late summer of 1899, a chaotic and violent encounter in the lower downtown area of Denver, Colorado, led to the tragic death of Denver Police Officer William Griffith, a White / Caucasian male. The series of events was set in motion when a soldier named Llewellyn caused a disturbance near the Alcazar, brandishing a gun. Officer Thomas J. Clifford was the first to respond to the scene.
As he approached Llewellyn, the soldier drew his weapon and fired, mortally wounding Officer Clifford.
In the ensuing chaos, Llewellyn fled down Blake Street. Officer William Griffith, who was nearby, immediately gave chase. As Griffith pursued the fleeing suspect under the 16th Street viaduct, he momentarily lost sight of him in the heavy shadows. Undeterred, he continued the pursuit and spotted Llewellyn's silhouette running towards the Morey Mercantile building. Griffith shouted for him to stop, but his commands were ignored. He then fired three shots, all of which missed their mark in the dim light.
Llewellyn turned and returned fire, shooting twice at the approaching officer. Officer Griffith was struck by the gunfire and collapsed. Even in his final moments, his dedication to his duty was apparent as he urged another officer who had arrived on the scene to take his gun and apprehend the shooter. William Griffith was rushed to St. Luke's Hospital in a police ambulance, but he succumbed to his injuries a short time later without ever regaining consciousness. He was survived by his wife and four-year-old daughter.
The suspect, Llewellyn, was pursued by several other officers, including Sergeant H.M. Southard and Patrolman J.B. Baker, who chased him into the train yards behind Union Station before losing him. Though other soldiers who were with Llewellyn initially were taken into custody, he was identified as the shooter in the deaths of both Officer Griffith and Officer Clifford. Despite an extensive search of the city, where police stopped most soldiers on the streets, the suspect, Wellington C. Llewellyn, was never apprehended and brought to justice for the murders of the two officers.
