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3,000 pounds of fireworks seized in Lakewood bust

By Berny Morson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published July 4, 2008 at 11:11 p.m.

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Police and fire officials closed down an illegal fireworks operation in Lakewood Friday.

Cindy Matthews, the spokeswoman for West Metro Fire Protection District, said officers seized about 3,000 pounds of explosives from a U-Haul truck parked at a duplex at 1044 S. Yarrow St.

Additional fireworks were inside the duplex and in a garage, Matthews said. Items included "professional size explosives" of the kind used at public displays Friday night, Matthews said.

Residents were evacuated from 10 homes for about 21/2 hours during the early evening while officials removed the fireworks.

Tipsters told authorities that as many as three trucks had made deliveries to the duplex in recent days.

No one has been arrested so far, Matthews said. Officers have identified several persons of interest, but were still conducting interviews.

Still unknown is who owns the duplex or who rented the U-Haul, Matthews said.

The fireworks originated in China. But officers will want to know who brought them to Lakewood, Matthews said.

Comments

  • July 5, 2008

    1:03 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    jmfslots writes:

    Probably set up by that Lakewood Cop who assaulted his kid

  • July 5, 2008

    1:13 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    clyde writes:

    Would that only the officials persue illegal immigrants with the same fervor and dedication.

  • July 5, 2008

    6:26 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    longpasttime writes:

    Fireworks just sit there... illegals run. Then you have to chase them... it's much easier this way. If only...

  • July 5, 2008

    7:17 a.m.

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    vudumom writes:

    It must be really hard to run a license plate on the U-Haul and find out who rented it. Equally difficult is running a property check to see who owns the house. I sure don't envy the job of the police now a days. They have a dangerous and difficult job.

    sarcasm.

  • July 5, 2008

    3:42 p.m.

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    sheepherder writes:

    What moronic posts.

  • July 6, 2008

    12:57 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Vector049 writes:

    My neighborhood was awash with people shooting off loads of expensive fireworks, with impunity, until after midnight. Not one patrol car was seen. So much for the media hype about a police presence and hefty fines.

  • July 6, 2008

    6:43 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    vudumom writes:

    I think since people are going to disregard the laws and the fire conditions, a few things should happen. The state city and counties should hire extra personel to hand out citations only. With the stipulation each server has to do at least 100. At a $1,000 a pop each server makes $ 100,000 for the city. You can easily pay them a good wage for the night. Let the one's breaking the laws pay some of our taxes. No need for increases if you write enough citations.
    OR

    Have each city and town allow people to buy a fireworks permit for $250 to $500. They can shoot fireworks off if they sign a waiver, agree to some safety rules and show proof of liability insurance.

    Then have police go around and give anyone shooting off fireworks illegally a $ 5,000 fine.

    If the police are not going to enforce the laws then at least make the lawbreakers pay.

  • July 6, 2008

    7:26 a.m.

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    Highcountry writes:

    Denver cops are pathetic. From my hotel room last weekend, I watched between 20 and 30 people engage in a violent fight in the middle of 14th Street and Larimer. I was surprised someone didn't get shot. When the police showed up about nearly a half an hour into the melee, the first thing the police cruiser did was drive up on the sidewalk and purposely ran into one of the culprits. The cops made no arrest and seemed oblivious to all around them. Just feet away a man and a woman were assaulting each other but the cops didn't see it. Then they drove away and the whole thing blew up again. I knew the police in Denver aren't the smartest chaps but this was unbelievable. The only thing more surprising is that someone didn't get shot.

  • July 6, 2008

    8:18 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    HOOK writes:

    Highcountry "Denver cops are pathetic", did you even read the article mental midget?

    3,000 pounds of fireworks seized in ((((Lakewood)))) bust

    I realize you might be still hung over from you drunken stupor, but I don’t see anywhere in here where it mentions Denver, or Denver Cops.

    "When the police showed up about nearly a half an hour into the melee," have you tried to drive around and get anywhere quick in weekend downtown traffic, they are lucky they made it in the first place without hitting the hundreds of drunken idiots stumbling around down there, not to mention the traffic.

    "The cops made no arrest and seemed oblivious to all around them."
    Um, maybe nobody told them or identified any of the hoodlums, did you make yourself known, complete a statement, or identify any of the bad guys? Obviously not..............

    I realize they aren’t perfect, but were they supposed to surround the whole Lodo, and put everyone in jail with no witnesses willing to make a statement, or sign a complaint? If they did then I am sure you would be the first one moaning because the cops violated the thug’s rights!

    So would you say that the cops who ran into active gunfire between the thugs shooting it out in a crowded out crowd, and took out the perps before some innocent bystander was killed were "pathetic", wait don’t answer that, your answer would surely be yes.

    What about the cop who stumbled onto to two armed robbery suspects a little while back, who were robbing a business as he drove by, he didn’t have time to wait for cover before the pukes fled out the back, and he was forced to confront them on his own, and ended up catching the guys, but I am sure he was just "pathetic" too in your warped opinion.

    You ever really want to know some of the crazy stuff that goes on in Lodo, and the rest of Denver on a weekend at bar close time, maybe listen.

    http://www.scancolorado.com/index.php

  • July 6, 2008

    10:31 a.m.

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    BMat writes:

    vudumom writes: "The state city and counties should hire extra personel to hand out citations only. With the stipulation each server has to do at least 100. At a $1,000 a pop each server makes $ 100,000 for the city. You can easily pay them a good wage for the night. Let the one's breaking the laws pay some of our taxes. No need for increases if you write enough citations."
    ___________________

    Writing tix doesn't guarantee people will pay them VooDoo. You guarantee the cities that participate in the idiacy explained above would increase overall cost and there is no safeguard to ensure that they ever get their money back.

    BTW putting the perps in jail doesn't help the city get their money either. It just costs even more for the city. Are you gonna hire and train cops just for the 4th of July weekend, then lay them off? Do they get red-white and blue badges?

    Your suggestion that cops have a ticket quota that would require them to write tix even if they don't find any law breakers is sadly stupid.

    VuDuMom, that was a doo-doo child. I hope you don't vote.

  • July 6, 2008

    12:20 p.m.

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    vudumom writes:

    I guess you would know about doo-doo. BM stands for bowel movement.

    I didn't say put them in jail. I would like to see something done. Either enforce the law or don't ban them.

  • July 6, 2008

    1:11 p.m.

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    Highcountry writes:

    I didn't see a story about dumb Denver cops so I figured Lakewood was close enough. They're all flatlanders to me. No hangover for me today thank you. But you're missing some key facts. The brawl - we're talking broken bottles, girls in high heels nailing guys with purses and at least three people who were hit by passing cars - occurred at about 3 a.m. Not a whole lot of traffic to hold up Denver's finest. There were, however, several fire engines and ambulances screaming off to other parts of the city so they did have their hands full. (Which makes me ask: What's up with Denver? It was a city in ruin that night.) Anyway, the police who arrived could have handled it A LOT better. For starters, they shouldn't have just plowed onto the sidewalk and ran into the first person they see. He could've been innocent. And they could have really hurt someone. Granted, the guy they ran into was guilty as sin. Then they proceeded to walk around, do nothing, and leave the bad guys on the corner. Then a pair of sketchy Mercedes sedans cruised by the scene about five or six times - I was waiting for the rat-a-tat-tat. I don't care whether the cops made arrests but they should've cleared the scene. Cuz the shat just hit the fan again once they left.

  • July 7, 2008

    3:37 p.m.

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    redwhiteandBLUE writes:

    Soooo who were these people ? Four days later and still no info ?