Colorado & Denver News

by Jodi Brooks
DENVER (AP) ― The man killed outside the governor's office at the state Capitol last month had flashed his loaded .357 handgun at a state trooper and told him "No police are going to stop me," according to an investigation by the Denver district attorney.

Trooper Jay Hemphill was cleared Friday of any wrongdoing by the Denver District Attorney.

Hemphill said he radioed in an emergency call and tried to step back from Aaron Snyder to keep a safe distance between them but Snyder moved toward him, according to the DA's report.

Hemphill drew his gun, ordered in a loud voice "Stop -- State Patrol -- or I will kill you" but Snyder ignored him and Hemphill fired four shots in about three seconds, hitting Snyder three times in the chest and once in the head, the report said.

Hemphill later told investigators that he believed Snyder, who was bigger than him, could have killed him and Gov. Bill Ritter.

Moments before, Hemphill was summoned to the reception area and he had escorted Snyder, who was wearing a tuxedo, to the hallway outside the governor's office.

According to the report, Snyder told Hemphill he was the emperor of the state and was there to take over and that "Abortion is an abomination." He said Snyder also said something to the effect that he would do "whatever it takes." Hemphill, who had dealt with other people who showed up at the governor's office, said Synder appeared stoic and was "focused and determined", the report said.

Hemphill went back to the receptionist desk, keeping his eye on Snyder, and grabbed a notepad and a pen to write down what Snyder was saying. He noticed Snyder was carrying the kind of ear muffs used at a gun firing range, and asked him if he had a gun. Snyder pulled back his jacket to show the gun sticking out of his right pants pocket, setting off the final chain of deadly events.

District Attorney Mitch Morrissey said Hemphill's actions were legally justified and no criminal charges will be filed.

Morrissey, who holds the job once held by Ritter, said the confrontation between Hemphill and Snyder happened an "unobstructed step away from the glass-windowed door" to the governor's office.

"The circumstances were so fragile that simply knocking Agent Hemphill off balance could have allowed Snyder to quickly re-enter the governor's office while drawing his fully-loaded firearm," Morrissey said.

Hemphill cannot return to work yet because the state patrol must complete its own investigation first, spokesman Gilbert Mares said.

The report said that Snyder's was .357 revolver was fully loaded with seven rounds. Thirteen more rounds were found in his left inside coat pocket. A Bible was found in his left pants pocket.

Snyder's mother has told investigators he had been diagnosed as delusional and was being treated by a psychiatrist. Delusions are a symptom of some "thought disorder" mental illnesses but do not constitute a diagnosis on their own, said Susie Street of Mental Health America of Colorado.

Snyder's writings, released as part of the report, are filled with references to God and Jesus and reminders to work and pray more.

About three months before the shooting, Snyder started keeping a notebook about a plan to "deliver all the unborn children in this country -- Christendom." He wrote that God had made him "lord governor of Christendom" and that, "It is my responsibility as sovereign ruler to stop abortion at once!"

Among his possessions, investigators found an Internet map showing directions to Denver's Federal Reserve Bank, along with a list of estimated expenses to "stop the bloodshed." The list, totaling $97.6 million, includes uniforms for the "lord governor" and "praetorian guard," tanks, and buses to carry soldiers to Washington, D.C.

It wasn't clear from the report if Snyder ever attempted anything at the bank. A bank spokeswoman wasn't available Friday and no one else could answer whether they had been contacted as part of the investigation.

In the notebook, kept in a daily planner, Snyder writes lists of what he must accomplish, mentioning inventor Nikola Tesla several times. He writes that he's not working like Tesla because his prayer life wasn't disciplined. One "prioritized daily task list" in the planner lists studying like Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor, exercise, laundry and "spend time with God". Items are supposed to be marked A, B, or C for their priority and all are marked as A.

He also wrote that he should show "great mercy", including freeing "lower criminals" from prison and pardoning all women who've had abortions.

There's only one item listed in his last entry on July 15, the day before the attack: "Make up prayer times & spend time with God."

(© 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)