Review of the fatal shooting of Caleb Grisenti by Englewood Police Officer Stephen Creaghe and EPD Sergeant David LeClair in a parking garage at 1401 E. Girard Place
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Review of the fatal shooting of Caleb Grisenti by Englewood Police Officer Stephen Creaghe and EPD Sergeant David LeClair in a parking garage at 1401 E. Girard Place
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Review of the shooting of a civilian by Elbert County Sheriff’s Sgt. Mile Skalisky at the Kiowa Industrial Park, 8561 Highway 86 in Kiowa.
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A felon who shot at Douglas County Sheriff’s deputies from a stolen car as they were trying to pull it over was sentenced to 48 years in prison.
Peirce Langewisch
“You don’t get to shoot at law enforcement officers and get a slap on the wrist,” said District Attorney John Kellner. “He was committing crimes, and when the deputies moved to intercept the car he was in, he escalated the situation and put passersby as well as deputies in danger. For that, he will be incarcerated for a lengthy time.”
The Sheriff’s Office monitored the case closely.
“The job of a law enforcement officer has become increasingly more dangerous, especially with individuals like this who blatantly, for no apparent reason, just shoot at the police. He needs to understand the ramifications of his actions,” said Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock. “We welcome the sentence in this case and are extremely grateful to all those who worked so hard the last few years to bring the defendants to justice.”
On Nov. 27, 2018, Douglas County Sheriff’s deputies spotted a possible stolen vehicle that ran a red light about 3 a.m. on South Broadway. When they followed the car, it began weaving and accelerated, reaching speeds of between 100 mph and 120 mph on C-470.
Other deputies assisted in trying to stop the car. Near Park Meadows mall, Langewisch, the rear-seat passenger, fired a gun at deputies, who returned fire. The car attempted to elude deputies by racing through residential neighborhoods – with shots coming out of the back window — until it crashed on Dry Creek Road near I-25.
As deputies tried to take the occupants into custody, the suspects did not obey commands and deputies shot at the car. The driver, Nicholas Ryan, 19 was killed. The front seat passenger, Jason Sutton, 21, was injured. Langewisch was not injured and was taken into custody.
The investigation revealed the three were in the stolen vehicle and stealing from mail boxes and cars before the deputy spotted them. Ryan gave Langewisch the gun during the incident, and Langewisch admitted to detectives that he shot at the deputies as Ryan tried to elude them.
The 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office determined the deputies’ use of lethal force was justified.
Sutton pleaded guilty Oct. 11, 2019, to one count of vehicular eluding, a Class 5 felony; and one count of first-degree trespassing of a vehicle, a Class 5 felony. Other counts were dismissed a part of the plea agreement. He was sentenced to three years in the Colorado Department of Corrections.
Langewisch pleaded guilty March 1, 2021, to two counts of attempted first-degree murder of a peace officer, a Class 2 felony; and one count of possession of a weapon by a previous offender, a Class 6 felony. Other counts were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Gary Dawson prosecuted the cases with Deputy District Attorney Joel Zink.
During the sentencing hearing on July 9, Zink noted Langewisch’s previous criminal history, as well as numerous incidents since he had been in the Douglas County jail.
“This defendant has made his intentions clear: As soon as he is released, he plans to go out and do the exact same kinds of things that put him behind bars,” Zink said. “There is no remorse, contrition or any interest in rehabilitation on his part. The maximum sentence allowed is appropriate.”
A Federal Heights man in a stolen truck who rammed an Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office deputy and patrol car was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Diego Gallegos Castorena
“You don’t get to ram a patrol car and injure a deputy and then just walk away,” said District Attorney John Kellner. “This defendant chose to commit a crime and then, rather than surrender, he made things worse when deputies tried to apprehend him. This just shows the dangers law enforcement officers face every day to uphold the law, even when responding to what some claim are ‘low-level offenses.’ ”
On Jan. 22, 2020, Arapahoe County Sheriff’s deputies were informed of plans for an illegal drug transaction at an apartment complex. When Castorena arrived at the complex in a stolen truck, deputies blocked the truck into a parking space and moved to arrest him. Castorena rammed the sheriff’s vehicle and hit a deputy. When Castorena backed up towards other deputies, one fired a weapon at him.
Castorena was hit by the deputy’s gunfire but recovered. The deputy’s actions were ruled legally justified by the District Attorney’s Office.
Deputy District Attorney Taylor McCreary prosecuted the case.
“This defendant not only broke numerous laws, but he also chose to endanger the lives of law enforcement officers. One deputy was seriously injured; the other saw what happened to his partner and was forced to act,” McCreary said. “The disregard for law and safety shown by this defendant made clear that incarceration was the appropriate outcome in this case.”
Review of the fatal shooting of Samuel Yeager by Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputy Christopher Lippolis on the Happy Canyon off-ramp from northbound Interstate 25.
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District Attorneys Brian Mason and John Kellner are pleased to announce that the Aurora Police Department will join the Critical Incident Response Teams for the 17th and 18th Judicial Districts, respectively. These two teams conduct independent, multi-agency investigations into officer-involved shootings and in-custody deaths. Until now, the Aurora Police Department has not participated in these teams.
C.R.S. § 16-2.5-301 mandates that law enforcement agencies in Colorado participate in a multi-agency team “in conducting any investigation, evaluation, and review of an incident involving the discharge of a firearm by a peace officer that resulted in injury or death.”
The north part of Aurora is in Adams County, in Mason’s 17th Judicial District; the south part is in Arapahoe County, Kellner’s 18th Judicial District.
“The law enforcement agencies in the 18th Judicial District have agreed to bring the Aurora Police Department into our Critical Incident Response Team, understanding this was in the best interest of transparency and adherence to the spirit of the law. We welcome the expertise of APD investigators as they will now reciprocate when needed for our other agencies,” Kellner said. “When I examine the facts of a shooting to determine whether charges should be brought, I need to know I am looking at an independent investigation. This move by APD is a step in the right direction.”
“I welcome the Aurora Police Department to the Critical Incident Response Team for the 17th Judicial District,” said District Attorney Brian Mason. “When a person dies or is injured during an encounter with police, the incident must be investigated thoroughly, independently and with integrity. That’s precisely what the Critical Incident Response Team does. With today’s announcement, I have much greater confidence that any such incident — whether it occurs in Aurora or another community in my jurisdiction — will be investigated properly.”
“Our relationship with the two CIRT teams is another step towards my commitment to A New Way of serving our community,” said Aurora Police Chief Vanessa Wilson. “This partnership brings additional transparency into our critical incident investigations, and will promote trust with the community we serve.”
The Aurora Police Department has already begun its integration into these two teams and this announcement takes immediate effect. Any future qualifying incidents will be investigated by the Critical Incident Response Team for the respective Judicial District.
Review of the shooting of James Woodall by Castle Rock Police Officers James Dinges and Luke Godfrey at a home on Short Grass Court
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Review of the shooting death of Kenneth Sisneros by Lone Tree Police Officers Charles Miller and Andrew Montes in a parking lot at Park Meadows mall
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