Stephan Long, the man charged with killing two men in a road rage shooting on Interstate 25 in June, claims self-defense in his first interview since the incident. Long says he feared for his life when the two men attacked him on the highway, leading to the fatal shooting. Steve Staeger reported
Stephan Long, a 25-year-old man, recently spoke to 9NEWS about the events leading up to the shooting on Interstate 25 in June, where he allegedly killed two men. Long claims that he acted in self-defense and feared for his life before pulling the trigger. Although his attorney advised him not to discuss specific details of the pending case, Long expressed his fear of dying during the encounter with the two men on the highway that afternoon.
According to Long, he and his wife had just signed papers for a new apartment and were driving separately to visit the apartment and drop off a car when the attack occurred. His wife and their two young children were in the car behind him when the shooting took place. Long explained that the two men pulled up next to him on the highway and began yelling at him. They then cut him off and stopped in the middle of I-25 near Eighth Avenue. Long attempted to escape by getting on the emergency lane and passing them before they blocked him in, but he was unsuccessful.
During an interview with police after his arrest, Long stated that one of the men got out of the car and approached him, hitting and grabbing him through the open window. Long expressed his fear in that moment and claimed that he didn’t know what could happen to him or what the men’s intentions were. In response to the attack, Long pulled out a gun and shot the man. However, as he tried to drive away, the driver of the car that had cut him off jumped and grabbed onto his window. Long shot the driver and continued driving out of panic and trauma.
Long revealed that he didn’t immediately call the police because his priority was to get his family to safety. He explained that he felt it was a fight or flight situation, and he did both. The two men he shot were later identified as Damon and Blake Lucas, who were brothers on their way to a job interview at the time of the incident.
Long, who spent five months in jail before being released on bond, emphasized that he had no previous criminal history. He mentioned that he bought the gun after moving back to Denver from college for protection since he had a family to take care of. He also clarified that he had taken a basic firearms course in college and that the gun was registered.
Long’s family has been supporting him throughout the legal process, attending Denver City Council meetings and urging council members to pay attention to his case. Their efforts led to 11 council members sending a letter to Denver District Attorney Beth McCann, comparing Long’s case to another where a white man claimed self-defense after shooting and killing a Black 12-year-old who stole his car. The council members expressed concerns about a potential double standard in the application of self-defense laws.
Despite the dropped murder charge, Long is still scheduled to appear in court at the end of November. Supporters, including Alexander Landau from the Denver Justice Project, argue that this case exposes flaws in the criminal justice system and raises questions about the application of self-defense laws, particularly for people of color..