Denver Justice Project Supports Stephan Long’s Lawsuit Against the City of Denver and Involved Officers
Denver, CO — June 13th, 2025 — The Denver Justice Project stands in full support of Stephan Long’s lawsuit filed today against the City and County of Denver and the Denver Police Department. This legal action is a necessary step toward justice after Stephan was demonized and unjustly prosecuted in a clear case of self-defense in 2023.
Let us be clear: no amount of money can undo the harm inflicted on Stephan and his family. The emotional, financial, and psychological toll of this ordeal is immeasurable. His arrest and prosecution tore apart his life and deeply disrupted his family’s stability, safety, and peace — all because he was forced to defend himself. His entire family paid a price that can never be recuperated.
Beth McCann had the opportunity from the beginning to do the right thing. She chose not to. Her decision to prosecute Stephan was not only unjust — it was racist, biased, and emblematic of a legal system that punishes Black people for exercising the same rights freely afforded to white people. Her actions, and those of her office, reflect the deeply rooted inequalities that continue to devalue Black lives in Denver.
Stephan’s case does not exist in isolation. When a white shooter kills a Black person, it’s ruled justifiable 34% of the time. When a Black shooter kills a white person, that rate drops to 3%. The right to self-defense has never truly applied to Black people — and when they attempt to claim it, the system punishes them for it.
We demand accountability from the City of Denver and those responsible for this injustice. We continue to stand alongside Stephan, his family, and his legal team as they seek accountability. We are especially grateful for the work of Stephan’s attorney, Zachary Warren, who from the start has supported Stephan’s fight for equal protection under the law. Together, we will not stop demanding justice — not now, not ever.
