Gangbangers caught on tape 'Wilding' in Denver

Jun 4, 2010 A CBS4 investigation has learned that Denver police categorized dozens of racially motivated assaults and robberies in LoDo and downtown Denver last year as "LoDo Wilding." Wilding is a slang term that typically refers to bands of marauding young people terrorizing strangers.

In one such case, CBS4 has now obtained never-before-released internal police videotape of a brutal assault and attempted robbery at a light rail station Aug. 11, 2009. The videotape, captured by RTD surveillance cameras, shows a group of young black males attacking and trying to rob a white man who was headed home from his job as a waiter in downtown Denver.

The tape shows the victim confronting the men after they tried to pick his pocket. A group of at least three young men then unleash a torrent of fists, kicks and stomps lasting for 22 seconds. While police have previously released other videotapes of LoDo assaults in an attempt to identify suspects and victims, none of the tapes were as violent as the one obtained by CBS4.

Police would later round up the suspects and conduct multiple interviews with each suspect: Tabias Graves, Landae Woods-King and Nyere Goff. In videotaped police interviews made available to CBS4, all three intially denied having anything to do with the 30th and Downing attack. But all three later admitted their involvment.

"I wasn't involved in a fight at 30th and Downing," Goff told detectives in his initial interview.

"I'm being cooperative. I have nothing to worry about, that's what I'm letting you know, sir," Goff told detectives.

But under police questioning, Goff soon changes his story, admitting his involvment.

"If you see on the tape," said Goff, "The man (victim) tried to get me."

Det. Tyrone Campbell responds, "You tried to go in his pockets, what do you expect?"

Faced with the video and his confession, Goff pleaded guilty in April to one count of felony theft, and prosecutors dismissed other counts he was facing.

Another suspect, Tabias Graves, also insisted he had nothing to do with the beatdown.

"No I didn't see an assault, wasn't involved in the assault, didn't see the assault."

But after detectives show Graves a freeze frame from the video showing him at the scene, he changes his story in a later police interview.

"The dude was about to hit Nyere so I hit the dude and the dude fell."

In May, Tabias Graves pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the 30th and Downing attack.

As for the third suspect, Landae Woods-King, when police initially interviewed him they accused him of "going into the pockets of white guys."

His response, "Who me?"

But when Detectives talked to Woods-King again several weeks later, he fessed up, admitting to being part of the attack and hitting the victim twice and kicking him. Woods-King has pleaded not guilty to all charges he is facing in connection with this incident.

All three suspects told police the attempted robbery and beating was spontaneous and unplanned.

The attack victim suffered minor injuries and was unable to identify any of his attackers. But the videotape of the attack, couple with full taped confessions from the suspects, has given police and prosecutors strong evidence in this "wilding" case.