DENVER — A large makeshift encampment underneath a Denver bridge will soon be cleared out ahead of dangerously cold temperatures this week, according to the city of Denver.
For the past several weeks, migrant families have lived in tents near W. 48th Avenue and Fox Street, many claiming they ended up there after their time at local shelters ran out.
On Wednesday, city organizations were out at the encampment, giving families notice that they could accept an offer of shelter ahead of the freezing cold temperatures this week.
Denver7 spoke with Jaime Andres Garcia, who said he has been living in a tent underneath the bridge for about a month and a half. He was packing up his things and preparing to move into the city shelter this week.
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Garcia said he has been sharing a tent with four others and doing all he can to keep warm over the past few weeks, using things like heaters and propane tanks.
“They want to take us to shelters so we’re not as cold and so we can be better,” he said, in Spanish. “One runs a lot of risk being in this situation.”
According to a spokesperson from Denver Human Services, the city has enough shelter space at the two new congregate shelters that were opened up, where several families from the Zuni encampment relocated after a sweep last week.
Denver Human Services said families will move from the bridge encampment and into the two new shelters over the next few days.
“It will be better to be in a safe site,” Garcia added.
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Denver clearing out migrant encampment under bridge ahead of cold temperatures
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The battle over Denver’s Flock camera surveillance system escalated Tuesday with nine Denver City Council members asking the city auditor to step in and essentially block Mayor Mike Johnston’s proposed extension of a contract with Flock.
In a letter dated Oct. 25 and obtained by CBS News Colorado, the nine council members asked Denver City Auditor Tim O’Brien to not sign a five month contract extension with Flock that Johnston announced last week.
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“We have serious concerns about Flock Group Inc’s ethics, transparency and credibility,” reads the council letter. “We do not believe the City and County of Denver should continue doing business with a company that has demonstrated such disregard for honesty and accountability.”
The council members accuse Johnston of deliberately evading city council oversight of the Flock agreement by violating city contracting rules.
Last week, the Mayor announced he was unilaterally extending Flock’s camera contract with Denver through early 2026, with measures in place to prevent federal authorities from accessing data from Denver’s Flock cameras.
In response to the city council letter, a spokesperson for Johnston on Tuesday released a statement saying, “It is the Mayor’s job to keep the city safe. License plate readers do just that, and there is nothing about this no-cost extension that is beyond the scope of the Mayor’s responsibilities or authority.”
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Auditor Tim O’Brien said on Tuesday he would perform due diligence “by considering whether this contract is intentionally split in violation of city contracting rules and assessing if it subverted City Council’s independent oversight.”
Some city council members have expressed privacy concerns around the use of the cameras.
Denver City Council’s Health and Safety Committee is planning to discuss the Flock issue again on Wednesday with an update scheduled on the Surveillance Task Force.
A police officer, a suspect, and two gas station clerks have been injured in a police shooting on Monday night, according to the Denver Police Department.
Few details were immediately available, but the department posted about the shooting on social media just before 9:45 p.m. that the shooting happened in the 3200 Block of South Parker Road, near Interstate 225 by the border with Aurora.
At 10:25 p.m., the department provided an update, saying officers responded to reports of an armed robbery at a gas station. Officers shot the suspect, who was taken to a hospital in critical condition, and one officer was shot, sustaining non-life-threatening injuries. Two store clerks were also shot and sustained non-life-threatening injuries, the department said.
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Denver police cars were seen outside Denver Health the night of Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, after the Denver Police Department said an officer and a suspect were injured in a shooting near South Parker Road and Interstate 225.
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There was a large police presence at Denver Health, following the shooting, with patrol cars outside the emergency room with lights flashing.
Denver Nuggets (1-1, ninth in the Western Conference) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (2-1, fifth in the Western Conference)
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Minneapolis; Monday, 9:30 p.m. EDT
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Nuggets -4.5; over/under is 228.5
BOTTOM LINE: Minnesota hosts Denver in a matchup of Western Conference teams.
Minnesota went 49-33 overall, 33-19 in Western Conference games and 25-16 at home during the 2024-25 season. The Timberwolves averaged 8.0 steals, 5.0 blocks and 13.7 turnovers per game last season.
Denver finished 50-32 overall and 8-8 in Northwest Division action during the 2024-25 season. The Nuggets averaged 17.0 points off of turnovers, 14.4 second-chance points and 26.4 bench points last season.
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INJURIES: Timberwolves: Rob Dillingham: day to day (nasal).
Nuggets: None listed.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
