DENVER — A fire truck near the end of Denver’s celebratory parade for the Nugget’s NBA finals victory, carrying Nuggets players, hit a police officer, who was transported to a hospital with serious injuries, authorities said Thursday morning.
The fire truck struck the Denver police officer a block from the end of the parade route near the Denver City and County Building amid thousands of celebration revelers, as it was turning right onto Cherokee Street from West 13th Avenue, Denver police spokesman Douglas Schepman said. “There were players on the truck that was involved,” Schepman said.
“It was a non-life-threatening injury,” he said.
A reporter at the scene saw sheriff’s department SWAT officers pick up the officer and shuttle him off the street in a cart. Barricades were set up in the area to keep the crowds away from the fire truck. The officer who was hit appeared to be on the other side. A group of Nuggets players who were riding on the truck, including Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Josh Kroenke, were escorted away in a Humvee.
The fire truck remained at the scene while officials investigated the cause of the crash.
This happened amid tens of thousands of revelers jammed into downtown Denver, a scene that observers described as a “madhouse” with people climbing over barriers.
It was the second incident this week that marred the celebration of the Denver Nuggets NBA championship, following a shooting that left at least 10 people injured early Tuesday near the intersection of Market and 20th streets. Police said that the shooting likely was related to a drug deal amid what had been a jubilant crowd of revelers.
“The police officers and DPD staff in the command post when this occurred were certainly concerned for the well-being of the officer,” Schepman said. “We did have executive staff members head over to the hospital to be with the officer.”
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(Sports editor Matt Schubert contributed to this report.)
