Alonzo Ashley Memorial

Denver Justice Project has been working with the family of Alonzo Ashley and the local community for years to bring this important project to fruition.

A word from our found Alex Landau –

This is the plaque at the memorial dedicated to Alonzo Ashley located inside the Denver Zoo. Alonzo was murdered by Denver Police in 2011 while he was suffering from heat stroke at the zoo. Zoo staff responded improperly to a man in need and instead of giving him the aid he needed the police were called. The police responded in number and used unnecessary force including multiple tasers, cartoid holds, and sheer body weight that eventually stopped this innocent mans heart.

This memorial to Alonzo is the first of its kind, a piece of infrastructure constructed to memorialize a Black man who was murdered by police. In memory of Alonzo you will find a water fountain, benches, and a cooling station amongst a tranquil and scenic setting, which is exactly what the family requested in his memory. Big thanks to all of the parties involved in making this possible because accomplishing this goal was an uphill battle that was won with community pressure. And in memory of Alonzo, may water connect us all.