Denver Cops Limiting Info to Murder Victim’s Brother After He Spoke to Westword

Now, Dedrick says he’s no longer receiving updates about his brother’s case because he talked about the probe with Westword. And while the DPD insists that he hasn’t been cut off entirely, a spokesperson confirms that some details won’t be shared in light of his public remarks.

“I spoke with DPD homicide, and it was said they weren’t giving me any more information because what they told me ended up in the Westword,” Dedrick confirms.

In response, Doug Schepman, the DPD’s director of communication and public affairs, offers the following statement: “The Denver Police Department remains committed to solving the murder of Marquise Harris and will continue communicating with his brother, Dedrick Harris, to keep him informed on the status of the case. Since the public disclosure of investigative details can potentially hinder a homicide investigation and prosecution, additional investigative details may be withheld from Mr. Harris. This is in an effort to protect the integrity of the ongoing homicide investigation, and not because of any negative statements made by Mr. Harris.”

The first word about the Marquise Harris murder came in a tweet at 9:08 a.m. May 5 from the Denver Police account: “DPD is investigating a shooting in the 8800 block of East 12th. One adult male victim located, transported with unknown extent of injuries. Investigators are working to develop suspect info.” Several hours later, an update revealed, “The adult male victim has died as a result of this shooting; no arrest(s) at this time.”

On May 10, the Denver Office of the Medical Examiner identified Marquise as the victim. “The cause of death is from a gunshot wound. The manner of death is homicide,” according to the office’s release.

The info provided to Dedrick by mid-June wasn’t much more detailed. “They told me he got shot in the chest and the head, and they wouldn’t tell us anything else except that they did some electronic search warrants on two cars,” he told Westword in June. A detective later warned him not to “expect any arrests to be made in the near future,” Dedrick said. “I asked him, ‘What do you mean the near future?’ And he said, ‘Today, tomorrow — don’t expect him to be arrested over the weekend.'”

As for possible suspects, Dedrick could only speculate. He said that assorted gang members have had beef with Marquise ever since he testified against Willie Clark, who was convicted of murdering Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams in 2007; Marquise had shared a cell with Clark and said that he’d written a confession letter. But Dedrick also suggested possible involvement by police officers, though he offered no evidence to support that.

In June 2020, Marquise was interviewed by Westword about his lawsuit for a story headlined “Video: Denver Cop Pulls Down Man’s Underwear During Improper Arrest.” His complaint named several Denver police officers, Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen, Denver District Attorney Beth McCann and others.

The first arrest detailed in the complaint took place on November 6, 2018. Marquise was walking home from a basketball game through an alley behind the 1100 block of Xenia Street, near where he lived, when “all of a sudden I hear a car driving at a high rate of speed coming behind me,” he recalled. “I turned around and briefly stopped. At first I didn’t realize it was the police, until they got closer, and an officer, a white officer, jumped out of his vehicle and said, ‘How are you doing?’ I said, ‘What the fuck are you stopping me for?’ and started walking off.”

At that point, Marquise continued, the officer said, “Stop,” but he kept going, eventually breaking into a run, even though he hadn’t done anything wrong. He explained the decision by pointing out that “in the last couple of years, it’s not a good idea to be in an alleyway with a police officer, even if it’s in the daylight.” He also had a large amount of cash in his pockets: approximately $3,000 from a recently settled case in Adams County.

During the pursuit, Marquise maintained that the officer “was fabricating as if I was reaching for a gun,” even though he was actually pulling up his pants, which he wore sagging below the waist. Then, Marquise said, “he jumped onto my back and put me into a chokehold and we went into a spin — and then other officers rammed my face into the side of the car and they pulled me off the ground and started searching me.”

Here’s video of that arrest:
After being placed in the squad car, Marquise was told by the officers that they’d witnessed him conducting two separate hand-to-hand drug transactions — an accusation he called “complete fiction.” He was also accused of having falsely identified himself as Dedrick, which he also denied.

Charges of interference with a police officer and false information against Marquise were subsequently dismissed by a Denver County Court judge, who found no reasonable rationale for the arrest in the first place.

Several months later, on March 1, 2019, Dedrick was taken into custody while waiting to get his car serviced; related charges against him were subsequently tossed, too. Marquise suggested that Dedrick’s arrest was harassment aimed at him, since it was conducted by the same officers who’d hassled him earlier and were the focus of a damning report he’d already made to the Denver Police Department.

Continue to see video of Dedrick’s arrest:
Today, Dedrick is clearly aggravated by the DPD’s reaction to his comments in Westword, which he didn’t see as endangering the investigation in any way. But much more important to him is the fact that “they still haven’t arrested anyone,” he notes.

Denver Police encourage anyone with information about the murder of Marquise Harris to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP(7867). 

Click to read the Marquise and Dedrick Harris 2020 lawsuit, the judge’s order dismissing the original charges, and Denver District Attorney Beth McCann’s letter declining prosecution.