A man has officially been charged in relation to the death of a Colorado Community Parole Officer. The charges have been filed in El Paso County, Colorado.
On September 28, Ofc. Christine Guerin Sandoval was tragically killed while attempting to serve a warrant to parolee Justin Kula, along with two other parole officers. According to court records, Kula attempted to flee from the scene while being detained and drove out of a parking lot in Colorado Springs, hitting other vehicles and ultimately striking Ofc. Guerin Sandoval. Despite being rushed to the hospital, she succumbed to her injuries and passed away. It is a devastating loss for her family, friends, and colleagues in the law enforcement community.
On October 11th, Kula made his first court appearance, as reported by KRDO news. However, he was not charged at that time because the prosecution had not yet filed formal charges. The delay in filing was attributed to the fact that the Colorado Springs Police Department’s reports were still pending.
On Friday at 8:30 a.m., the prosecution is expected to file formal charges against Kula as per the judge’s order.
The charges that were filed by the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Colorado are as follows:
- LEAVING THE SCENE OF AN ACCIDENT, C.R.S. 42-4-1601(1), (2)(c), Class 3 Felony;
- MANSLAUGHTER, C.R.S. 18-3-104(1)(a), Class 4 Felony;
- VEHICULAR HOMICIDE, C.R.S. 18-3-106(1)(a), Class 4 Felony;
- ASSAULT IN THE THIRD DEGREE, C.R.S. 18-3-204(1)(a), Class 1 Misdemeanor;
- And three counts of HABITUAL CRIMINAL, C.R.S. 18-1.3-801, sentence enhancers
According to a statement released by the 4th Judicial DA’s Office, they are obligated to consider the law and the facts discovered during their investigation when determining charges.
At the Filing of Charges hearing, Kula decided to waive his right to a prompt preliminary hearing. His next court appearance is scheduled for January 8, 2024, at 9 a.m. According to his attorney, they do not anticipate any status conferences before then.
A man has been accused of killing a Colorado parole officer, and formal charges have been filed against him. The news was reported by KRDO, a reliable source.
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