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The man killed during a shootout with Englewood police over the weekend was the brother of the person firing at officers and did not shoot at police himself, according to an arrest affidavit released Tuesday.
Matthew Neal Mitchell, 22, was shot by officers who returned fire into a home in the 5000 block of South Grove Street on Sunday night. Mitchell died of gunshot wounds suffered “during a police altercation,” according to the Arapahoe County coroner.
Police arrested his brother, Phillip Loren Blankenship, 29, on suspicion of attempted first-degree murder following the shooting.
At about 7:40 p.m. Sunday, officers responded to the home on a report of an armed man, identified as Blankenship, who was described as intoxicated and suicidal. Kimberly Mitchell, Blankenship’s mother, had called police and said that he had fired a gun inside the home.
Officers made commands for Blankenship to come out of the home. “Give me a minute,” was a reply from inside, according to the affidavit. Officer Trey Sammon was taking cover behind an SUV in the driveway when Blankenship fired a shot through the living room window, the court document said. Sammon was not injured.
Officer Aaron Jarrett, who was north of the house across the street, also took gunfire from inside the home and his vehicle was hit. That’s when officers returned fire, according to the affidavit.
Blankenship exited the home and was taken into custody. Mitchell “suffered a fatal gunshot wound” inside the home, the affidavit said.
According to the affidavit, Blankenship told police that he had argued with his grandmother and that he shot a hole in a basement wall with a .44 Magnum handgun. He barricaded himself inside his room “because he wanted to be alone,” but his brother was inside the room with him.
Blankenship, according to the affidavit, told police that he fired a .380 handgun “one time at the police officer in the driveway because he wanted the police to kill him.” He also told police he was the only person who fired at officers, and that his brother did not shoot.
Prior to speaking with detectives, Blankenship asked about his brother’s condition, the affidavit said, because he “last saw his brother on the ground bleeding to death and unable to speak.”
Blankenship is being held at the Arapahoe County jail. Police did not release further information about the shooting on Tuesday.
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