The Brown Palace Hotel on Broadway. Jan. 27, 2023.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
A heavily armed law-enforcement team set up atop the Brown Palace and Broadway was closed near the hotel on Tuesday, providing security for an unnamed “visiting VIP.”
A CPR News journalist spotted a law-enforcement officer with a long rifle on the sidewalk near the historic hotel on Tuesday around 1 p.m. Law enforcement also appeared to set up a staging tent near the hotel. Later, a local politico posted video of a similarly clothed sniper and spotter on the roof of the hotel.
Much of the police presence cleared out around 7 p.m.
Police initially released little information about what was happening.”DPD is assisting another agency. This is not a criminal situation. We are unable to elaborate further at this time,” a spokesperson wrote to Denverite.
Shortly afterward, the department followed up on X. “The SWAT activity in the area was related to a motorcade and security for a visiting VIP. No additional info is available,” DPD posted.
It’s unclear who the VIP was. Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance was scheduled to be in Denver on Tuesday for a fundraiser, but the location has not been disclosed.
Police officers also responded to a threat near the hotel on Tuesday, but that was a “separate incident,” according to DPD.
A local FBI spokesperson said the bureau “won’t have any comment about what might or might not have been at that location today.”
Editor’s note: This article was updated on Tuesday, Oct. 8, at 7:30 p.m with further information.