Man killed in police-involved shooting in Pueblo identified, remembered by family Saturday

PUEBLO, Colorado (KRDO) — Although his official identity has not yet been determined by authorities, the family of 34-year-old Ronald Ray Valdez confirmed to KRDO 13 on Saturday that he is the man shot and killed by police officers on Wednesday evening.

The police details: At around 7:45 p.m. they responded to a report of a man with a gun in the parking lot of a Popeye’s Restaurant near the intersection of US 50 and Outlook Boulevard; officers found the man in a vehicle and ordered him to show his hands; he refused to do so and then began shooting at the officers, who returned fire; Valdez died at the scene and none of the officers were injured.

An unspecified number of officers involved in the shooting have been placed on leave pending the completion of the investigation.

The Rev. Paul Montoya, a community pastor known for helping the homeless, said the Valdez family asked him to lead a vigil Saturday night.

“I didn’t know Ron personally, but I know his sisters,” he said. “They’re really a wonderful family. They’ve brought me donations before because they know I help the homeless. I’ve met the sisters quite a bit, and it doesn’t seem like (the incident) was actually anything like what happened to Ronnie. But I really don’t know what happened. I’m neutral. I’m just here to help the family and provide some comfort. I’ll probably help them with the funeral as well.”

Unfortunately, this is not the first time Montoya has performed such a service.

“That night, within 20 minutes, there was a shooting on the East Side,” he recalled. “I could hear the gunshots. I’m starting to get used to it. We need to start looking out for each other a little more. I know it’s hard to be a police officer right now – they’re understaffed and can’t be everywhere at once. But it’s hard for the families. When they don’t have answers, they feel like nobody is doing anything. But there’s a process that has to be followed. In the end, the truth will come out.”

A crowd estimated at several hundred attended the hour-long vigil in the parking lot where Valdez died, remembering him by releasing balloons, lighting candles, sharing memories and setting off fireworks at the end of the event.

Now family and friends are preparing his funeral.

“We have to do this again because we haven’t seen him yet,” Valdez’s brother told the audience. “So let’s make it bigger – because we’ve done this before, right?”

A woman held up a sign questioning why Valdez was shot more than three dozen times.

A cousin of Valdez said: “We will find the right way to make sure everyone knows he was not the person they think he was.”

“We need to demand justice,” said one of Valdez’s aunts. “What happened to him didn’t have to happen like that. There isn’t a bad story to tell about him. He was funny and silly. Thank you all for being here.”

His family declined interviews on Saturday, saying they would have more to say in due course.

Valdez leaves behind his girlfriend and four children.