DENVER – Friday morning, Supporters of CW and Nicole Mallery, Black ranchers who live in rural El Paso County, met at the Colorado State Capitol building for a rally and march.
The couple has said for more than two years, they’ve been harassed, their animals have been poisoned and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office has not thoroughly investigated.
“If it can happen to the Mallerys don't think it won't happen to you?”, Dr. Vern L. Howard, Chair of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Colorado Holiday Commission and organizer for the rally, said to the crowd. “Not all cops are bad. However, the ones that are make the whole bunch of them stink.”
Representative Naquetta Ricks, D-Arapahoe County, also spoke during the rally.
“We want to make sure that whatever needs to happen for protection, so that we can get to the bottom of it,” Ricks said.
“When I got word of it, the first call that I made was to the sheriff's office to find out both sides of what was going on. We've got a narrative that's been developed, that's one-sided, and we're going to change that. We're going to make sure that you hear – and everybody else hears – both sides of the story,” said Senator Tony Exum. “We're going to be in contact with the Attorney General.”
The Mallerys' attorney, Tyrone Glover, also spoke.
“On top of everything that has happened to the Mallerys, they are currently being prosecuted by the county of El Paso. My firm is entered on this case, to make sure that they get the due process,” Glover said. “There was a press conference earlier this week. And afterwards, they released a scintilla of the discovery and investigative documents that are available. My firm is awaiting the rest of it.”
Glover was referring to a news conference the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office held where they shared body camera video of Nicole Mallory being combative toward deputies in previous cases.
Following that news conference, the sheriff’s office released 129 pages of records pertaining to the Mallerys.
“I think it's really disturbing that they didn't address the hate crimes against my family and I, which are the epitome of why we're here today. It was a moment, it does not define who I am. I felt violated,” Nicole Mallery said.
CW Mallery was the last person to speak during the rally before the crowd began marching toward the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. statue in Denver's City Park.
“I can't express from the bottom of my heart, like how much this really means that to see all of you out here, the different faces the different color people with me is, it's not about color, religion, race, gender, you know, I'm a farmer, I pay more attention to the weather, than I do anything else. I just want to farm in peace,” CW said.
CW said they’ve lost almost 20 animals due to poisoning or theft.
A GoFundMe was started for the Mallerys that has raised over $200,000.
Throughout the rally, the Mallery’s were calling on state lawmakers to pass the CAREN, or Caution Against Racially Exploitative Non-Emergencies Act.
The couple said this all began as a dispute with their neighbor and they think the legislation could prevent future situations like their own.
Denver7 has reached out to the sheriff’s office multiple times for a one-on-one interview but have not been given that opportunity.
