Denver Leaders Reject Justice Department's Demand That City Repeal 'Assault Weapons' Ban Authored by Michael Clements via The Epoch Times, Denver is refusing to repeal its 37-year-old ban on certain types of firearms known as “assault weapons.” Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, sent a demand letter on April 28 to Denver Mayor Mike Johns...
Denver Leaders Reject Justice Department's Demand That City Repeal 'Assault Weapons' Ban Authored by Michael Clements via The Epoch Times, Denver is refusing to repeal its 37-year-old ban on certain types of firearms known as “assault weapons.” Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, sent a demand letter on April 28 to Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and City Attorney Miko Brown, requesting the city repeal the ordinance, which has been in place since 1989. In a May 4 response letter, Brown stated that the ordinance has withstood legal challenges, kept violent crime low, and was democratically enacted. Brown wrote that while Denver may consider various strategies to keep citizens safe, “Reversing a common-sense ban that has worked for 37 years and bringing assault weapons back into the City’s neighborhoods is not one of them.” Johnston reiterated that sentiment in a statement released that same day. “Denver’s law has stood for 37 years because it works, it saves lives, and it reflects the values of our community. No demand or lawsuit from Washington is going to change that,” Johnston said. The ordinance—Denver Revised Municipal Code Section 38-121(c)—prohibits carrying, storing, keeping, manufacturing, selling, or possessing an assault weapon. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston testifies before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Capitol Hill on March 5, 2025. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times The ordinance defines an assault weapon as “any semiautomatic pistol or centerfire rifle, either of which have a fixed or detachable magazine with a capacity of more than fifteen (15) rounds, and any semiautomatic shotgun with a folding stock or a magazine capacity of more than six (6) rounds or both.” The definition includes firearms that have been modified to have these features to function as an assault weapon. Dhillon wrote that the U.S. Supreme Court held in D.C. v. Heller that the Second Amendment secures “the righ...