Lee Keltner, a 49-year-old Navy veteran, was murdered in Denver on Saturday. He was killed by 30-year-old Matthew Dolloff, who claimed to be a private security guard.
Keltner sprayed mace at Dolloff, who drew his weapon and shot Keltner in the head. The victim was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Johnathon Keltner, Lee’s 24-year-old son, told a newspaper reporter that his father was not part a specific group. He said his father was “there to rally for the police department.” News reports immediately claimed that Keltner was part of a “Right-Wing Patriot Rally.”
Dolloff, who shot Keltner from about six feet away, was immediately surrounded by police and taken into custody. A spokesperson for Denver’s District Attorney Beth McCann said the arrest affidavit was sealed. She deferred questions to the local police.
Dolloff is being held without bond on suspicion of first-degree murder.
Denver TV station 9News, an NBC news affiliate, said Dolloff was working as a private security guard. They said he was hired through the Pinkerton security firm. Private security guards have been hired to accompany news staff at protests for several months, the station reported.
But Denver officials have no record of the license required for Dolloff to work as a private security guard. “If he was operating as a security guard, he was in violation of the law,” said Eric Escudero, spokesman for the Denver Department of Excise and Licenses.
Rules governing security guards were established in Denver in 2018. Among other things, it requires them to be licensed. It also requires them to have special endorsements to carry a firearm or operate in plainclothes. Dolloff was not wearing a uniform. In addition, his name did not appear on the city-run database that lists several thousand security guards who work in Denver.
Both the Patriot Rally and BLM-Antifa “Soup Drive” were in the same vicinity. The “Soup Drive” rally was apparently meant to be a sarcastic response to the group throwing soup cans at police during protests. Police were present to keep the two groups separated.
Uniformed police officers in riot gear could be seen all along the street and also on the sidewalk near the art museum where Keltner was murdered. In fact, several police officers were just a few feet away from both Keltner and Dolloff when the shooting occurred. Video surveillance camera captured the incident, which clearly showed Dolloff shooting Keltner.
This video shows an altercation between members of the two groups. The video ends with the sound of the shot that killed Keltner, who had just walked away.
The news media was quick to identify Keltner as a pro-Trump supporter participating in a “right wing” Patriot Rally.
Dolloff’s Facebook page showed he raised sheep on a ranch on the Eastern Plains of Colorado. Court record showed he had no previous criminal history, the Denver Post reported. His social media page also showed he’s anti-Trump, anti-police, pro-Occupy, and pro-BLM. He’s also a gamer, hence the “space invaders against oppression” tattoo on his right wrist. In other words, he’s a loser.
Carol Keltner, the victim’s mother, posted a simple but poignant message on her Facebook page. “He was murdered because he backed the police,” she wrote.
Image from: Denver Post
Who belonged to the second gun that was located at the crime scene?????
@Dianne Hermann, I have seen a lot of shoddy, bogus, irresponsible reporting in my life, but frankly, yours “takes the cake.” Your statement, supposed of fact, “Keltner sprayed mace at Dolloff, who drew his weapon and shot Keltner in the head,” is a false, make-believe scenario that you have concocted, for what reason, I cannot comprehend. Let me ask you, what evidence do you have that supports this claim? The evidence that I have seen supports the thesis that Dolloff attempted to grab the mace canister from Keltner, that Keltner slapped Dolloff, that Dolloff stepped back, drew his weapon, and proceeded to aim the gun prior to Keltner raising the mace can in self defense. A video available on Twitter shows that Dolloff’s gun was aimed prior to the discharge from the mace can. A photo on Twitter shows that Dolloff discharged his weapon simultaneous with the discharge of mace. The shell casing can be seen in the photo flying through the air as the mace can discharges. The gun was drawn, aimed, and possibly discharged prior the discharge of the mace. Also, the mace was not aimed at Dolloff at this point as the bullet had likely already struck Keltner in the face, and Keltner had already lost control of his facilities. Also, the mace from the can is not aimed in such a manner that it approaches the body of Dolloff. I believe the photo, and video evidence on Twitter strongly indicates that the mace was never a threat to Dolloff. In fact, a case could be built that unarmed Keltner was a victim of premeditated, cold blooded murder. Your failure to thoroughly review the available evidence regarding this shooting, and reporting based on supposition, is a disgrace to the Independent Sentinel, and journalism in general, in my humble opinion. I could be completely wrong, and further information may come out that indicates that, but your characterization of the event is false, and completely misleading. As a reader, I expect better journalism from the Independent Sentinel.
Okkaaayyyy!!!!!
Soo…As far as SHEEP farming is concerned, does Mr. Dolloff OWN the sheep and farm in question? Or does he work for someone WHO DOES?
And IF he was IN FACT working for Pinkerton, did they NOT do a BACKGROUND CHECK on him? Did his “security card” expire the day before the shooting or was it in arrears for MONTHS? What kind of “TRAINING” does Pinkerton put their “guards” through?
Did the local news station CHECK with Pinkerton or do a BACKGROUND check on Mr. Dolloff?
Lastly Did Mr. Dolloff “DRAW” his WEAPON BEFORE or AFTER Mr. keltner “presented” his MACE SPRAY?
We probably wont find out till AFTER the election, the sooner the better though!
I’m far right but…..mace / assault someone, you might lose your life.
The shooter has been led to believe that Soros and liberal DAs will get him out of jail quickly. And he’ll emerge with a great deal of street cred to inspire the next shooter. Let’s wait and see. Probably best if anyone still capable of reason avoids cities altogether. They are war zones, and the inhabitants consider normal folk evil racists.