LODO, 2am- What could possibly go wrong?

Not a recipe for success.

LODO, 2 am, the big parking lot at 19th and Market, showing your gun to random people because X, Y, or Z, having it in your hand when contacted by DPD...

https://youtu.be/ipAHGbw5Gtw?si=X9PoGdWU5-beIdYi


... and then non-related gunfire breaks out at the other end of the parking lot.

My wife and I used to frequently patronize LODO and the 16th Street Mall in the 2002 to 2012 timeframe. We had our favorite restaurants, bars, performance venues, and even took our young kids down there too. Closer to end of that window, our experiences started to turn negative. This includes one of the times I thought the odds of needing my carry gun accutely spiked. My wife and I had attended a late showing at the movie theater when we started walking back to towards our car near Union Starion at roughly 1:30 am. What had been a pleasant family atmosphere when we went to dinner at Lime and proceeded into the theater now had a complete different timbre. We passed two hood rats that were actively keeping a wall from falling over, but decided to promptly fall right in behind my wife and I. They followed us for a few blocks, but did not follow us when we made a turn towards the parking lot. Needless to say, that was probably the fastest we ever got into the car, locked the doors, and got rolling, my hand in my pocket on the grip of my sidearm as soon as we separated from them. Some lessons were learned that night, including always having a bright EDC flashlight. Too bad it's turned into such a shit show down there. Nowadays, I pretty much refuse to patronize any established with security screening unless there are no other options. However, most of the places we liked down there are long out of business- LODOs, Crocs, Breckenridge Brewery, Soiled Dove, Tavern, Lime, Rock Bottom,Tilted Kilt, Cowboy Lounge and the Paramount Cafe.

Fuck LODO and Fuck Denver, City & County of.

Anybody who patronizes that area makes themselves a victim.

I have avoided the LoDo area at night on weekends for over a decade. 16th Street Mall area is just as bad. Area around Union Station is likely the most dangerous place in Denver after dark.

A small pepperspray unit works great for people who are not obviously attacking, but who are aggressively pursuing you, intruding into your personal space, blocking your path, or putting their hands on you. "Manners in a can" and if a group of hoodlums is 5 paces behind you it makes a spicy cloud for them to follow you through.

Brings back memories of walking on Larimer Street in the 60's before Dana Crawford preserved the area.
It was definitely Skid Row.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BPTactical

Fuck LODO and Fuck Denver, City & County of.

Anybody who patronizes that area makes themselves a victim.

---

I drove carriages on the 16th St Mall almost 20 years ago, it was a fun part time gig. Then the area started to turn to shit, just about the time everyone got "woke". I bailed and never went back.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by .455_Hunter

Not a recipe for success.

LODO, 2 am, the big parking lot at 19th and Market, showing your gun to random people because X, Y, or Z, having it in your hand when contacted by DPD...

https://youtu.be/ipAHGbw5Gtw?si=X9PoGdWU5-beIdYi


... and then non-related gunfire breaks out at the other end of the parking lot.

My wife and I used to frequently patronize LODO and the 16th Street Mall in the 2002 to 2012 timeframe. We had our favorite restaurants, bars, performance venues, and even took our young kids down there too. Closer to end of that window, our experiences started to turn negative. This includes one of the times I thought the odds of needing my carry gun accutely spiked. My wife and I had attended a late showing at the movie theater when we started walking back to towards our car near Union Starion at roughly 1:30 am. What had been a pleasant family atmosphere when we went to dinner at Lime and proceeded into the theater now had a complete different timbre. We passed two hood rats that were actively keeping a wall from falling over, but decided to promptly fall right in behind my wife and I. They followed us for a few blocks, but did not follow us when we made a turn towards the parking lot. Needless to say, that was probably the fastest we ever got into the car, locked the doors, and got rolling, my hand in my pocket on the grip of my sidearm as soon as we separated from them. Some lessons were learned that night, including always having a bright EDC flashlight. Too bad it's turned into such a shit show down there. Nowadays, I pretty much refuse to patronize any established with security screening unless there are no other options. However, most of the places we liked down there are long out of business- LODOs, Crocs, Breckenridge Brewery, Soiled Dove, Tavern, Lime, Rock Bottom,Tilted Kilt, Cowboy Lounge and the Paramount Cafe.

---

I was going to respond to this differently, then realized you're in CO, I'm no longer there. Interesting how 1 states laws can turn you into a felon by what they call down here, Defensive display of a firearm. Where in CO you're felony menacing / brandishing a gun.

I'll be heading back to CO this fall, have to brush up on State of CO gun laws, so i don't become a felon getting in or out of the rental car.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Great-Kazoo

I was going to respond to this differently, then realized you're in CO, I'm no longer there. Interesting how 1 states laws can turn you into a felon by what they call down here, Defensive display of a firearm. Where in CO you're felony menacing / brandishing a gun.

I'll be heading back to CO this fall, have to brush up on State of CO gun laws, so i don't become a felon getting in or out of the rental car.

---

The incident in question happened probably before 2010. Nothing the hood rats did could be described as warranting drawing of a firearm, and I certainly was not going to do anything that indicated I was armed while we were on the mall proper just because they started walking behind us. I moved my hand to my pocket once we separated in case they came back for a hasty "ambush".

After midnight, we're going to chug-a-lug and shout
We're going to stimulate some action
We're going to get some satisfaction
We're going to find out what it is all about
After midnight, we're going to let it all hang down

That looks like a good shoot to me. The guy definitely pointed the gun directly at the officer, whether intentionally or not. Next time he's told to put the gun down, maybe he'll just put the gun down.

Officer had some mad reaction time, too.

Was that enough blood to justify a tourniquet? Looked more like a direct pressure situation to me.

Thoughts from the crowd?

Direct Pressure or a band-aid. ;)

Pretty crazy video though... so many amped up people, including the cops.

-John

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bailey Guns

That looks like a good shoot to me. The guy definitely pointed the gun directly at the officer, whether intentionally or not. Next time he's told to put the gun down, maybe he'll just put the gun down.

Officer had some mad reaction time, too.

---

I agree with you. I'm watching the replay in a chair at a desk. At 2AM with whatever was going on there and tension obviously high, being flagged by a pistol certainly warrants a response.
That said, the guy had it by the handle, down by the magazine well, with 2 fingers.

I think it's interesting the two cops in the video don't seem at all concerned with the other shots fired. Just duck and cover. No other response.

Lodo at anytime is sketchy. Had to go there to renew CCW. What a shithole.

I worked for a telecom co. at 17th & Curtis for many years and had to go there day & night all the time, on call 24x7x365. I miss that job, but sure as hell don't miss downtown Denver. Although there was that little cart with the killer tamales.....