No charges for prison guard who killed biker in Denver brawl

DENVER (AP) — A Colorado corrections officer who killed a man during a shootout between two biker clubs at a Denver motorcycle show won't face criminal charges because his self-defense claim makes it unlikely a jury would convict him, prosecutors said Tuesday.

The decision not to prosecute Derrick Duran, a member of the Iron Order Motorcycle Club made up mostly of police and military, added to the frustration of other biker groups that complain the club's members pick fights, then use their law enforcement connections to avoid punishment.

Duran, 33, told investigators he feared for his life when he fired the first shot during the escalating fight, wounded one, Denver police Cmdr. Ron Saunier said.

Experts say its members are increasingly becoming entangled in violence with other biker groups, blurring the line between professionals sworn to uphold the law and a biker culture with a long history of criminal activity.

The decision not to prosecute "sends a clear signal to that motorcycle club and others like it that they can indiscriminately provoke confrontations and kill people and get away with it," said David Devereaux, a spokesman for the National Council of Clubs, who worried about violence at future events.