Tag: Public Safety
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Colorado wildfire roundup: New fires reported in Elbert, Las Animas and Huerfano counties
Thousands of firefighters continue to battle several large wildfires in Colorado, forcing some residents in a growing number of counties across the state to find alternative shelter amid evacuation orders in effect on Wednesday. Some crews battling the 96,089-acre Aspen Acres fire in Custer and Pueblo counties departed several miles south of Colorado City to…
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400 more firefighters, Alaska incident command team to combat Colorado’s Aspen Acres fire
Hundreds of firefighters from across the country will descend upon Pueblo and Custer counties for weeks to combat the 28,362-acre Aspen Acres fire that broke out Monday morning. The fire injured one Westcliffe firefighter and claimed 55 structures in Custer County and more than 100 in Pueblo County as of Tuesday afternoon, incident commander Phil…
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FBI conducts simulated nuclear exercise in Colorado Springs
Soldiers and airmen gathered in Colorado Springs this week for a simulated nuclear detonation event to train for the unlikely chance of a terrorist attack in Colorado and Wyoming. The annual field training exercise has been happening since 2012, according to the FBI, the only federal agency with jurisdiction and capabilities to investigate a nuclear…
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9 more bodies ID’d from Davis Mortuary; 6 remain unidentified
Nine additional bodies allegedly found improperly stored by then-Pueblo County Coroner Brian Cotter and his brother have been identified with DNA analysis, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation announced Wednesday. A total of 18 bodies of people who died between 2010 and 2012 have been identified by Dr. Gregory Grahek, Cotter’s replacement as coroner, and Fremont…
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Residents want more police presence after deadly north Denver shootings
The residents of the Five Points and Cole neighborhoods are calling for increased police patrols after three fatal shootings in less than a week. Community members gathered Thursday at a north Denver neighborhood meeting organized by Cole Neighborhood Association President Reed Raskin to voice safety concerns and discuss the Denver Police Department’s actions and response…
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Douglas County approves AI system for sheriff’s investigations
Douglas County commissioners unanimously approved the purchase of an artificial intelligence system to assist the Sheriff’s Office with investigative analysis. The system is designed to help investigators process large volumes of data more efficiently and turn it into usable investigative leads, officials said. “This system dramatically improves how we process large and complex databases, turning…
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Colorado marijuana regulators pledge crackdown on intoxicating hemp
Citing potential tax avoidance, ‘serious risk to public safety,’ Marijuana Enforcement Division warns companies about swapping illegal chemically converted hemp for marijuana This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with The Denver Gazette. Colorado regulators announced on Monday that they plan to crack down on companies that illegally substitute cheaper and…
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Roybal-Smith sentenced to 80 years in prison after pleading guilty to double homicide
District Attorney Brian Mason announced Monday an 80-year prison sentence for Ricky Roybal-Smith, who pleaded guilty to fatally stabbing two men more than 100 times. Roybal-Smith pled guilty Monday to murdering 27-year-old Jesse Shafer and 61-year-old Scott Davenport in two separate attacks on East Colfax Avenue in Aurora on June 29, 2025. Adams County District…
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Costilla County sheriff, 4 deputies indicted in abuse of a corpse, assault cases
Two grand juries in the 12th Judicial District indicted five members of the Costilla County Sheriff’s Office in separate cases on Thursday involving improperly collecting remains and assaulting a citizen. Former Costilla County Sheriff Danny Sanchez and former Deputy Keith Schultz faced indictments after allegedly putting human remains into a paper bag, leaving some behind…
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Colorado weather a ‘magnitude worse’ than historic Waldo, Black Forest fire seasons, official says
Colorado’s blistering, dry and breezy conditions have fire officials on edge as the state braces for a wildfire season forecast to be worse than during the Waldo Canyon fire in 2012. Officials warn that wildfires are becoming more frequent, more destructive and larger. “We are not looking good for fire this year,” Colorado Springs Fire…