DENVER — State and city leaders condemned the placement of racist signs, targeting immigrants and VP Kamala Harris, at RTD bus stops in Denver and Aurora. A Friday morning presser featured statements from Attorney General Phil Weiser, city councilwoman Shontel Lewis and Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas, among others.

In total, RTD found seven signs at five intersections along Colfax. The first was found by a bus operator of Route 15 at around 5 a.m. Thursday, according to an RTD spokesperson. The metal sign was bolted down on top of a pole.

“It was pretty jarring,” said Olivia Hunt, a Denver resident who was one of the first to notice the signs. Hunt was headed to her birthday lunch, when she noticed the sign on Colfax and Garfield. “I’m very frustrated at people who are so invested in hate,” said Hunt.

Her sentiments were echoed by Chief Ron Thomas, who fought back tears during the presser.

“This is not the Denver that we will accept. This is not the Denver we love,” said Thomas.

RTD agency staff worked with Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) to check for more signs. DPD officials said they have multiple leads, but are not ready to name any suspects. Additionally, DPD managed to obtain video surveillance from nearby cameras that are helping with the investigation.

DPD does not believe that this incident was connected to similar cases in other cities. Similar signs have popped up in New York and Chicago, those messages have appeared at Chicago Transit Authority bus stops.

Although DPD believes all the signs have been found, RTD is still asking people to report any suspicious behavior that they may have observed near bus stops. You can reach out on RTD’s Transit Watch app, or by calling Transit Police dispatch at 303-299-2911. You can also text RTD at 303-434-9100.

Colorado and Denver leaders condemn racist signs posted at RTD bus stops

Ja’Quan McMillian had to wait his turn in 2023.

First, the Broncos nickel job belonged to K’Waun Williams. A camp injury cost him what at first looked like weeks and turned into the entire season.

Then it belonged to Essang Bassey. But poor performance in the early weeks of the season opened the door again.

Then McMillian burst through like the Kool-Aid Man, pint-sized rather than the full pitcher, but with the kind of energy and impact that helped jolt Denver’s defense out of the doldrums and into a playmaking group.

Now this summer McMillian’s roster spot is secure, and he’s being counted on to produce as a linchpin in Vance Joseph’s defense.

He’s not planning on any sort of regression.

“Just taking the next step,” he told The Denver Post of his plans for Year 2 as a starter. “Just doing whatever they need me to do. Whatever that is, I’m willing to do it. Just improve from last year. Not make the same mistakes I made last year, try to take that next step mentally and try to anticipate more based off what the offense is giving me and use that information that it gives me. Play the same way I played. The mentality is still the same.

“Play hard, play physical and play smart football. That’s what I go by.”

McMillian got thrust into playing time Week 4 against Chicago and played well almost immediately. He racked up seven tackles for loss, a pair of sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries and seemed to make a big play every week of Denver’s five-game, turnover-fueled winning streak in the middle of the season.

It happened fast and McMillian kept up fine, but he felt he had some retroactive work to do after the season ended, too.

“That’s what it’s for. The offseason, you go and you take your little break, but what I did early on was just watch a lot of film,” he said. “I watched a lot of games that I played in last year. Just tried to see a lot of different things that I can improve on. Just take that next step mentally. It is easier. You have more time to do that. So any time I got bored at the house I’d pull out the iPad and start watching film.”

He saw a lot of production from himself. Three tackles for loss against Kansas City in Week 6, then two more TFLs and a pick two weeks later against the Chiefs. A forced fumble in that Week 10 Monday night win at Buffalo. Two more turnovers forced against Minnesota. A forced fumble and a sack against Houston. Two more TFLs and a sack against the Chargers.

That’s all well and good, but he got as much out of watching seemingly much more monotonous practice tape.

“In practice, you use all your tools and you try different things and you just get to work on it,” he said. “Practice film is just as important to watch as the game film because it’s where you try stuff. You might try something in practice that you can’t try in a game because you can’t give something up or take that risk.

“I’ve watched a lot of both, and both have done me good.”

He’s impressed the coaching staff thoroughly along the way.

“He is extremely smart,” head coach Sean Payton said. “I kind of felt like he’s one of those players that kind of took a step into his own last year, created a lot of turnovers. He has really good football instincts, and I think that is a trait that’s very important because there are a lot of adjustments that take place for that player when the motion goes or leaves. His fits in the run game are different than maybe the corners or even the safeties sometimes.

“So you’re looking for someone who has high football IQ and good (change of direction), someone that can tackle. And of course, you’re going to play man-to-man, so how does he hold up when he’s covering up in the slot? All of those things.”

McMillian did them all well in 2023 and is planning on being better across the board in 2024.

“I went into the offseason doing the same thing, with the same mentality. I just want to take the next step mentally,” he said. “Going into the playbook deeper and knowing the ins and outs of the defense. Obviously, I knew a little bit last year but I just wanted to go deeper into the playbook. Just get faster, bigger, stronger.”

Most TFLs by Broncos DB (single season)

Ja’Quan McMillian made an instant impact when he was inserted into the lineup last season, including a knack for racking up tackles for loss. Here’s a look at how his season stacks up to other Broncos defensive backs. Mobile users, tap here to see the chart.

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Originally Published: August 30, 2024 at 5:45 a.m.

Denver Broncos cornerback Damarri Mathis, who suffered an ankle injury in last week’s preseason finale, was placed on short-term injured reserve Tuesday, the team announced.

Mathis will first be eligible to return for Denver’s Oct. 6 home contest against the Las Vegas Raiders. He won’t count against the 53-man roster limit while on IR.

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A 2022 fourth-round pick, Mathis has appeared in 33 career games for the Broncos. The Pitt product lost his starting job to Fabian Moreau last season and entered this year competing with Levi Wallace, Riley Moss, and Kris Abrams-Draine for the coveted CB2 role opposite Pro Bowler Patrick Surtain II.

“Most of the battles that we have, it’s battles where you need both guys to play well for you. It’s battles where you need both guys to play in a package, like corner,” defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said on Aug. 22. “We need multiple corners, so it’s encouraging to watch all of the guys get better. Obviously during a game week, we have schemes, and we have package for all the guys to play. Most of those battles are ongoing past the weekend, and then we’ll decide who starts first, but that won’t matter at corner.”

With Mathis shelved, the Broncos chose to carry five corners on its initial active roster: Surtain, Wallace, Moss, Abrams-Draine, starting nickelback Ja’Quan McMillian, and special-teamer Tremon Smith.

The club also moved linebacker Drew Sanders (Achilles) and safety Delarrin Turner-Yell (knee) to the Physically Unable to Perform list to begin the 2024 campaign. Sanders and Turner-Yell will be permitted to play in Week 5 — same as Mathis — but are expected to remain sidelined for a longer duration.

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