After the death of Alonzo Ashley at the Denver Zoo earlier this week, the Greater Metro Denver Ministerial Alliance on Friday demanded sweeping changes to the way public safety is handled in the city.

Ashley, 29, had punched and bitten two officers and a zoo security guard, said Denver police officials, so they used a Taser to subdue him. They got Ashley to the ground, but he began convulsing and stopped breathing before paramedics arrived.

"The killing of unarmed, vulnerable Denver residents at the hands of Denver law enforcement officers is simply unacceptable," said the Rev. Patrick Demmer, vice president of political affairs for the ministerial alliance.

He issued a list of five demands, including updated crisis intervention training for police officers and a "Safety Summit" of community leaders, law enforcement and city government, to be held immediately.

"Law enforcement is sending a clear and concise message to our community, as well as to the Hispanic community: 'We do not value your life,' " he said.

Civil rights activist Alvertis Simmons delivered another list of demands, which included putting on immediate administrative leave all Denver police officers and Denver Zoo security guards who physically handled Ashley, and shutting down the Denver Zoo until the investigation is complete.

Zoo spokeswoman Tiffany Barnhart said the zoo had received the list from Simmons, and that "our leadership will be discussing next steps."


About 100 people gathered in front of the Denver Zoo Friday afternoon, including community activist Brother Jeff Fard, who said he had attended a candlelight vigil for Ashley there the night before.

"During the (mayoral) campaign there were a lot of promises about changing the culture in policing," he said. "A lot of people are waiting to see how Mayor (Michael) Hancock handles this, because it will set the tone.

"There should not be people losing their lives at the drinking fountain of the zoo. It's very disturbing at all levels."

Hancock has been quietly working behind the scenes with the family to resolve immediate issues this week, his spokesman Wil Alston said.

"We can't weigh in until we have all the facts," Alston said. "We get the need to do something, but the process is the process. I think they want us to do the process correctly. We can't get ourselves all amped up until the facts are in."

Colleen O'Connor: 303-954-1083 or