The Local newsletter is your free, daily guide to life in Colorado. For locals, by locals. Sign up today!
Michael Andre, a Denver criminal defense lawyer, was found dead in his Cherry Creek home after a day long standoff with police.
“These are very volatile situations. We had developed information that led us to believe the individual inside was suicidal. And we wanted to provide every opportunity for him to come out on his own,” Denver Police Det. John White said. ….During the standoff, friends of Andre, including several men he had represented, gathered outside the police perimeter. Michael McGinley, 46, said Andre faced stress at work, and others said he was wrestling with family problems as well. “This is un-necessary. If they could just allow me to go in, I could bring him out,” Andre Walker, 32, said at a police barricade. Three hours later, Walker stood in a the dark street distraught as television news trucks pulled away. Police “should have gone in earlier,” he said. “They had that infra-red sensor. They should have known he wasn’t moving.”
Get ahead of holiday shopping this year!Gift 12 issues of 5280 magazine for just $16 »
Andre represented Willie Clark, the owner of the SUV that killed Bronco cornerback Darrent Williams. Clark remains in jail. Criminal defense work is stressful, there’s no question about it. I didn’t know Mr. Andre, but I’m sad nonetheless. May he rest in peace.