The burning candles and holding a vigil and making a memorial are typical Boulder mentality. The bull had been wandering the neighborhood apparently last year, too. I wouldn't mind seeing elk, deer, or whatever in my neighborhood (we do have deer at times)
A person finding an injured animal is required to contact the game dept. You can get a permit to salvage meat from them. A cop, if he found a hurt animal is supposed to contact his supervisor, who will contact the game people, and if it is necessary to put it down, then, since it is in city limits, a LEO should do it. This cop didn't contact anybody, his buddy just happened to be "off sick", but could show up to load up a trophy bull and disappear with it.
No way would any of us "civilians" get away with shooting an animal in the city and hauling it away. It is poaching. I know both of people getting hung out to dry for putting down a hurt animal, and others, me included, who have done what was necessary, and kept quiet. No way will most of us let an animal suffer.
I really hope they hang hard charges on these jokers and make them stick. As noted in other posts, cops are getting to where they think the laws are made for others, and hold a low opinion of any of us who are civilians. Actually, we are citizens, and their employers.
