Local News
Kevin Denner, off-duty Littleton officer, remembered for kind demeanor
Posted: 05/10/2013 12:37:56 PM MDT
May 10, 2013 8:19 PM GMTUpdated: 05/10/2013 02:19:52 PM MDT
By Carlos Illescas
The Denver Postdenverpost.com
Pallbearers place Littleton Police Officer Kevin Denner into a motorcycle-driven, glass-sided hearse at the Mission Hills Church May 10, 2013. (Andy Cross, The Denver Post)
LITTLETON — He was a big man with a big heart, a man who could scare the life out of suspect but could also comfort a child just with his smile.
Littleton Police Officer Kevin Denner, killed Monday when a suspected drunken driver crashed into Denner's motorcycle while the officer was off duty, was remembered by friends, family, law enforcement and others Friday as a "gentle giant" who loved spending time with his family at the beach.
"He was a police officer who didn't have a mean bone in his body," said Krista Bunten, Denner's partner in the detective division for 6 ½ years.
At 6 foot, 6 inches tall and 301 pounds, Denner was a
Littleton Police Officer Kevin Denner. (Courtesy of City of Littleton)
"big kid with a good heart," Bunten recalled. He had many nicknames, including Heavy D, Dinger and Gentle Giant, she said. Once, when Denner showed Bunten a device that played the Star Wars theme, she named him something else: "The president of the computer nerd herd."
About 650 people came to Denner's funeral services at the Mission Hills Church in Littleton. Officers from Broomfield, Lakewood, Arapahoe County, Aurora, Littleton, Englewood, Douglas County and others came to show their respects to the Denner family.
Denner, 42, was driving his Harley Davidson at about 11:30 a.m. Monday when he was struck by Jemal Dawed, 37, in Aurora. Dawed was arrested of charges of vehicular homicide, driving while intoxicated, careless driving and failure to yield the right of way.
Julie Anderson was walking her dogs when she saw the crash. At Friday's service, Anderson recalled the moments after the accident in a letter to Denner's wife, Kristen.
"I stood on the corner with my dogs, praying for your husband, praying for a miracle," Anderson said. "We all wanted and waited for a miracle, but none was to come."
Littleton Detective Sam Mullins recalled a day when the two responded to a call of a suicidal man at a third-story apartment. The man kept yelling down at the officers that he was going to jump. The two made their way to his door, and Denner turned to Mullins and said, "I've never kicked a door in," Mullins recalled. They made it inside and Denner hid in a closet, the only place that would hide his big frame. When the man was apprehended, he told Mullins, "I can't believe that monster than came at me from the closet."
Denner's friend, David Phelps, called him "The Kid Whisperer" for Denner's way with children. "They would pull to him, they would just trust him," Phelps said.
Denner loved the beach and the water, spending countless vacations with his family and other families wherever there was a beach or pool or a good place to dive in the ocean.
"Most of the time I spent with Kevin was underwater," friend Trent Hebrlee said.
Aside from his wife, Denner leaves behind a son, 9 and daughter, 8.
A fund has been set up to help the Denner family. Contributions can be made to: Rocky Mountain Law Enforcement Federal Credit Union, 992 Potomac Circle, Aurora, Colo. 80011 or call 303-458-6660. Those making donations need to refer to the Kevin Denner Memorial Fund, Routing No. 302075283.
Carlos Illescas: 303-954-1175, cillescas@denverpost.com or twitter.com/cillescasDP
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