CORRECTLY. >> I AM JUST DISGUSTED THAT
DENVER POLICE NOT ONLY
ILLEGALLY REMOVED UNHOUSED
NEIGHBORS BUT ALSO THOUGHT IT
WAS OKAY TO PUT THEIR HANDS ON
SEVERAL PROTESTERS.
SEVERAL PROTESTERS. >> IT WAS A SWEEP OF A HOMELESS
ENCAMPMENT RIGHT NEAR THIS
COLORADO STATE CAPITAL THIS
MORNING AND IT IS GETTING
ATTENTION IN MORE WAYS THAN
ONE.
ONE.
ONE. DENVER SCHOOL BOARD DIRECTOR
TAY ANDERSON WAS SEEN FALLING
TO THE GROUND AFTER HE SAYS HE
WAS SHOVED BY THE POLICE.
>> THE INCIDENT HAPPENED AS
POLICE AND HEALTH OFFICIALS
CLEARED OUT HUNDREDS OF TENTS
AND PEOPLE EXPERIENCING
HOMELESSNESS FROM LINCOLN
MEMORIAL PARK ACROSS THE STREET
FROM THE STATE CAPITAL.
9NEWS REPORTER MARC SALLINGER
SHOWS US WHY THE SWEEPS
HAPPENED IN THE FIRST PLACE
TODAY.
TODAY.
TODAY. >>
TODAY. >> Reporter: FOR WEEKS, THE
ENCAMPMENT NEAR THE COLORADO
STATE CAPITAL HAS GROWN.
DOZENS OF TENTS WERE HOME TO
PEOPLE EXPERIENCING
PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
HOMELESSNESS. TODAY, THE CITY SWEPT THE CAMP.
>> IT WAS TIME.
IT IS TIME.
TO CLEAN UP THIS CAMP DUE TO
THE PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES THAT
WE SAW THERE.
BUT ALSO, THE SAFETY ISSUE.
>> Reporter: ROBINSON IS THE
DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
PUBLIC SAFETY.
PUBLIC SAFETY. HE POINTS TO A RISE IN VIOLENT
CRIME AS PART OF THE REASON FOR
THE SWEEP.
THE SWEEP. OF THE 119 PEOPLE TESTED LAST
WEEK FOR THE VIRUS, TWO TESTED
POSITIVE.
POSITIVE.
POSITIVE. THREE PEOPLE WERE SHOT EARLIER
THIS MONTH AT THE CAMP.
TODAY, REMNANTS OF DRUG
PARAPHERNALIA WERE EVERYWHERE.
>> THE SITUATION THAT WE ARE
EXPERIENCING TODAY WITH
HOMELESS CAMPS CANNOT STAND IN
DENVER.
DENVER.
DENVER. THEY ARE UNSAFE.
THEY ARE UNHEALTHY.
AND, WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING
DIFFERENT.
DIFFERENT. >> Reporter: AS POLICE AND THE
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
WORK TO CLEAR THE CAMP,
PROTESTERS SHOWED UP TO
ADVOCATE FOR THE HOMELESS.
IN THE GROUP WAS DENVER SCHOOL
BOARD DIRECTOR TAY ANDERSON.
>> I'M DISAPPOINTED THEY COULD
NOT JUST SAY HEY, KEEP THESE
GATES OPEN SO THAT PEOPLE CAN
BE ABLE TO GET THEIR
BELONGINGS.
BELONGINGS. >> Reporter: ANDERSON WENT TO
THE HOSPITAL AFTER HE SAYS HE
WAS SHOVED BY THE POLICE AND
HIT HIS HEAD ON THE CONCRETE.
ROBINSON SAYS ANDERSON FELL.
>> I'M SORRY THIS HAPPENED TO
YOU.
YOU.
YOU. I'M
YOU. I'M SORRY YOU FELL.
I HOPE YOU ARE OKAY.
>> I WANT THE CITY AND COUNTY
OF DENVER TO UNDERSTAND YOU
GAVE ME A TRAUMATIC HEAD INJURY
BY SHOVING MY HEAD TO THE
GROUND AND DENY IT SAYING I
FELL.
FELL.
FELL. >>
FELL. >> Reporter: THE DEPARTMENT OF
PUBLIC SAFETY IS NOW
INVESTIGATING THAT OFFICERS
USED EXCESSIVE FORCE.
IN DENVER, I'M MARC SALLINGER,
9NEWS.
9NEWS.
9NEWS. >>
9NEWS. >> AND IN TAY ANDERSON'S PRESS
CONFERENCE, HE CALLED ON MAYOR
HANCOCK TO RESIGN.
WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO DENVER
POLICE ABOUT INTERACTIONS WITH
PROTESTERS AT THE SWEEP, BUT
HAVE NOT YET HEARD BACK.
>>> THE CITY WILL LIKELY BE
CARRYING OUT MORE HOMELESS
SWEEPS AT OTHER CAMP SITES.
THE CAMP NEAR MOREY MIDDLE
SCHOOL A FEW BLOCKS EAST OF THE
CAPITAL MAY BE NEXT.
IT IS THERE AT 14th AND
CLARKSON.
CLARKSON.
CLARKSON. THE SIZE OF THE CAMP AND HOW
LONG IT HAS BEEN THERE
APPARENTLY IS NOT THE PROBLEM.
DENVER'S DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC
HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT SAYS IT
IS BASED ON WHETHER A CAMP IS A
PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUE.
THINGS LIKE UNSANITARY
CONDITIONS, DISEASE, AND RATS.
>> THE CITY OF DENVER SAYS IT
OFFERED CHARTER BUSES TO SEND
HOMELESS DOWNTOWN.
HOMELESS DOWNTOWN. ONLY ONE PERSON ACTUALLY TOOK
THAT BUS.
THAT BUS.
THAT BUS. DENVER'S DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING
STABILITY SAYS THEY ARE WORKING
TO CLOSE THE AUXILIARY SHELTER
AT THE WESTERN COMPLEX IN
AUGUST.
AUGUST.
AUGUST. THE CITY OPENED IT IN APRIL TO
GIVE MEN EXPERIENCING
HOMELESSNESS A PLACE TO STAY
AND SOCIALLY DISTANCE.
A SPOKESPERSON SAYS THE CITY
WILL MOVE THE MEN TO THE DENVER
COLISEUM WHICH IS CURRENTLY SET
UP FOR WOMEN.
THE CITY WILL TRANSITION THE
WOMEN TO MOTEL ROOMS OR SHELTER
RUN BY CATHOLIC CHARITIES.
YESTERDAY, THE NATIONAL WESTERN
SHELTER HAD 582 GUESTS.
THE COLISEUM HAD 191.
>>> THE CITY MENTIONED COVID AS
A REASON FOR THE CAMP CLEANUP
TODAY.
TODAY.
TODAY. THE STATE HAS REPORTED 177
CASES OF CORONAVIRUS TIED TO
THE HOMELESS POPULATION.
100 OF THOSE HAPPENED TO PEOPLE
OUTSIDE OF A SHELTER IN DENVER.
THE STATE REPORTED OUTBREAKS AT
FOUR SHELTERS.
FOUR SHELTERS. NEW GENESIS TRANSITIONAL LIVING
SHELTER, URBAN PEAK, SAMARITAN
HOUSE, THE LARGEST IS NEW
GENESIS WHERE 35 RESIDENTS