Bail increased for anti-violence activist accused of shooting man outside Commerce City water park

Lumumba Sayers, a local anti-violence activist charged with murder, requested a reduction in his $1 million bail Thursday so he can be released from jail while he awaits trial, citing strong community support and his ties to the Denver metropolitan area.

The family of the victim, Malcolm Watson, then spoke.

“I believe this monster should not be released on bail,” said Denesha Stevenson, Watson's older sister, fighting back tears. “He committed a heinous crime by killing my brother, my little brother and my best friend.”

The judge was convinced. He increased the bail to five million dollars.

At the hearing in Adams County District Court, Stevenson pointed out that the shooting took place at a public water park where hard-working families met to enjoy the rest of the summer.

“A great man and activist is not defined by someone handing out backpacks. A great man and activist is defined by someone being honest, reliable, standing up for rights and having respect for life,” Stevenson said. “This monster has proven that he cannot be a productive member of society.”

According to court documents, police believe Sayers shot Watson in the head at close range at a Commerce City water park on Saturday. The investigation indicates, according to court documents, that Sayers believed Watson was responsible for the death of Sayers' son last year.

The court hearing became disrupted when a woman identifying herself as Watson's mother took the floor and argued that Sayers' commitment to the community was not a reason to release him from prison to await trial for murder.

“If you release this man on a lower bail, Your Honor, you are sending this message: I can shout a few slogans, pat a few people on the head, shake a few hands, hand out a few dollars, but because I'm grieving, I can also kill someone else's child.”

She then began screaming in the courtroom, prompting Sayers, who was wearing a prison jumpsuit, to be led out and the hearing to be briefly adjourned. After the judge warned her to respect courtroom decorum, Sayers was led back in and the hearing continued.

Several of the victim's family members opposed a bail reduction, telling the judge they feared for their safety and the safety of the community.

Angela Cortez said she was with Watson the day of the shooting. She said they spent the entire day shopping for Watson's child's birthday party. She said after Watson was shot, Watson's child asked, “Why did you just kill my father?”

Prosecutors then asked for a bail increase to an all-cash bail of $5 million, citing concerns about Sayers' ability to raise large sums of money, that a GoFundMe page had been set up for Sayers, and that Sayers had been filmed attempting to plant a gun on his victim while he was carrying birthday presents when Sayers shot him five times, once in the head.

Adams District Court Judge Jeffrey Ruff said he was persuaded by Watson's family's testimony in court: They feared not only for their own safety, but also because of safety concerns in the entire community.

“A lot of really good, hard-working people lived very close to the park, people who were just trying to make ends meet, and their whole lives were turned upside down by the shooting,” Ruff said.

He ordered bail increased to $5 million cash. A preliminary hearing in the case is now scheduled for October.