SELF-DEFENSE

Security Guard Who Shot Right-Wing ‘Patriot Rally’ Protester Has Murder Charges Dropped

The protester was discharging bear spray toward Matthew Dolloff when he pulled the trigger.

A private security guard who was accused of shooting and killing a right-wing protester in Denver in 2020 has had the second-degree murder against him dropped, according to The Denver Post. Matthew Dolloff, 32, shot Lee Keltner, 49, in the aftermath of a “Patriot Rally” in which Dolloff was protecting a team from the 9News network in 2020. The incident, which was caught on camera, started when Keltner became angry about being filmed and started swearing at the producer. Dolloff stepped in to separate them, at which point Keltner slapped Dolloff in the face and attempted to discharge a can of bear spray he was holding. Dolloff then shot Keltner. On Thursday, prosecutors reportedly dropped charges against Dolloff after concluding they weren’t beyond doubt that he was acting in self-defense. Dolloff’s attorney, Doug Richards, said: “I’m just really happy for Matt and his family that the DA finally realized what we’d known all along.”