DURANGO — A former sergeant in Colorado faces felony gun charges after shooting at a suspect in a fatal vehicle pursuit in McElmo Canyon in 2018, prosecutors said. The district attorney’s office charged former Montezuma County Sgt. Edward Francis Oxley in September with two counts of illegally discharging a firearm, The Durango Herald reported Wednesday. Oxley pleaded […]
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Posted inCrime and Courts, News
Authorities identify second set of remains discovered in San Luis Valley as missing Saguache County woman
The second of three sets of human remains found last month in rural Conejos County have been identified, investigators announced Tuesday. A forensic odontologist identified the remains as 34-year-old Shayla Jenna Hammel, who lived in Saguache County, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Hammel was reported missing on Nov. 26 by a family member […]
Posted inNews, Wildfire
All missing people accounted for as snow gives crews battling East Troublesome fire a reprieve
A winter storm battering Colorado on Sunday and into Monday is giving firefighters battling the East Troublesome and Cameron Peak fires a much-needed reprieve. “We don’t anticipate any fire growth today or tomorrow with this storm. It may be quite a few days before we see any fire activity whatsoever,” said Paul Delmerico, operations section […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, News, Politics and Government
DA on Colorado’s Eastern Plains indicted on drug, misconduct charges
By Colleen Slevin, The Associated Press An elected prosecutor for Colorado’s northeastern rural plains was indicted by a grand jury on drug charges on Thursday following an investigation by the state’s attorney general. Brittny Lewton, 40, was charged with three drug felonies, including conspiracy and possession, as well as official misconduct, a misdemeanor, according to […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, News, Politics and Government
Prosecutors drop official misconduct charge against Eagle County’s sheriff, saying they can’t prove the case
An official misconduct charge brought against Eagle County Sheriff James van Beek has been dismissed in what his attorney says is a misunderstanding with the district attorney that could have been resolved over a cup of coffee. Instead, the case went to a grand jury, which over the summer charged van Beek with misusing funds. […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, News, Politics and Government
Polis rules out ordering attorney general’s investigation into fatal police shooting of De’Von Bailey
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has ruled out ordering an independent investigation into the fatal shooting of 19-year-old De’Von Bailey by Colorado Springs police. The decision comes a week after a grand jury declined to charge the officers involved in the August shooting. Polis had earlier called for an independent review of the encounter and met […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, News, Politics and Government
The Eagle County sheriff has been indicted for official misconduct. He says the district attorney misinterpreted the law.
Eagle County Sheriff James van Beek has been indicted on suspicion of official misconduct related to money spent by his office, but he says the situation all stems from a misunderstanding of the law by the district attorney. The grand jury indictment splits two of the most powerful law enforcement officers in Colorado’s high country, […]