ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — A father wants people to know about the son he lost and that he has questions for Englewood Police.
Matthew Mitchell, 22, was killed when the Englewood Police Department said his older brother, Phillip Blankenship, 29, shot at police and officers fired back.
Blankenship's mother called 911 and said that her son was suicidal, intoxicated and had fired a gun in the house, according to an arrest affidavit.
Blankenship is accused of firing shots at officers who responded to the house. Englewood Police said officers fired back, and Mitchell, who was inside the house with Blankenship, was killed by gunfire.
Englewood Police have not explicitly said who shot Mitchell.
"In light of all the information and reporting regarding this incident, it is my intention to shed a light on Matthew and share what kind of person he was and a small portion of how I will remember him," Matthew Mitchell's father, Brian Mitchell said in a statement.
Brian Mitchell said his son wanted to get a degree in education and worked at an after school program in a local elementary school.
"The children loved 'Mr. Matt' and how he interacted with them," Brian Mitchell said.
He said Matthew and his long-term girlfriend were starting to make plans for their future together.
"THIS is the part of Matthew that we will never experience, celebrate or share with him," he said in the statement.
Brian Mitchell described his son as a "beautiful soul" who cared deeply for others. He said he was sweet, gentle, funny and loving.
"The excruciating hurt set aside, God blessed me tremendously with the privilege to be Matthew's father," he said. "We had a very close bond and special relationship. I can’t imagine anyone having a better, sweeter and more loving son than Matthew. I’m thankful to God for the time he gave me with my son. I will think of him everyday and someday, I pray, the unbearable pain will subside enough to remember the pure joy and happiness he brought into the lives of everyone that knew him."
Brian Matthew lives in North Carolina. He says Englewood Police have not reached out to him, and he wants to know why.
He also said he wants to know whether Englewood Police knew Matthew was inside the house before they started shooting, and if officers gave a clear warning that they were going to shoot at the house.
9NEWS made repeated requests to speak with Englewood Police on camera about what happened. Those requests were denied.
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