Cop fires into own car in attempted theft
An Aurora police officer fired a shot into his own patrol car early Thursday afternoon as a man attempted to steal it, police reported.
The incident, which occurred about 12:30 p.m. near Iowa Elementary School, ended with the suspect being subjected to a Taser and taken into custody by several officers, according to reports.
The officer was attempting to question the man, who matched the description of someone seen pounding on a car in an Aurora neighborhood, police said. The man ran and then advanced on the officer demanding to be shot before jumping in the police car and trying to leave.
Other officers arrived and blocked the getaway, but the officer standing outside his car fired a shot into the door of the car. No one was hit by the bullet, police said.
The man was found to be armed and was arrested on suspicion of auto theft, weapons charges and other charges related to resisting arrest.
The officer who fired the shot was placed on administrative leave with pay pending the outcome of the investigation, police said. No names were released.
Colorado Ballet dancers OK union
Colorado Ballet’s dancers have voted 26-5 in a secret ballot to join the American Guild of Musical Artists, a union representing professional musicians, singers and dancers. The vote Wednesday came less than two months after the financially troubled company fired Martin Fredmann, who served as its artistic director for 19 years and hired all its current dancers.
It is unclear what effect unionizing will have on the future size or makeup of the company.
Churchill probe on hold for vacancies
An investigation into University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill is on hold while a CU committee replaces two scholars who quit because of allegations of a conflict of interest.
The committee assigned to review Churchill’s work has not met, CU spokeswoman Jeannine Malmsbury said Thursday. The group – down to three members after the resignations of Robert Williams from the University of Arizona and Bruce Johansen from the University of Nebraska – will start meeting when it is complete, she said.
The Standing Committee on Research Misconduct, a group of faculty, chose the investigative committee members, who are experts in American Indian studies.
Williams and Johansen resigned after the anti-Churchill blog www.pirateballerina.com questioned their ability to be impartial because they had defended Churchill’s right to free speech in March.
Beauprez to donate “tainted cash”
U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez plans to donate $4,000 to charity – matching a sum that the Republican congressman received from former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham, R-Calif.
Cunningham pleaded guilty to taking bribes and resigned from Congress this week.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee on Thursday criticized Beauprez, who is running for Colorado governor next year, and dozens of other House Republicans for taking “tainted cash” from the disgraced congressman.
Beauprez’s campaign spokesman, John Marshall, said the money would be donated to Step 13, a Denver-based charity that aids homeless people with alcohol and drug addictions.
Suspect tripped up by fake $20 used for bail
A counterfeiting suspect was rearrested Thursday in Boulder County after authorities discovered he had posted bail from a prior arrest using a phony $20 bill.
Troy Lee Lawson, 37, of Longmont is being held at Boulder County Jail, facing seven counts of counterfeiting, two outstanding traffic warrants and violation of bond conditions, sheriff’s deputies said.
Lawson had been arrested by Longmont police detectives twice in the past two weeks on allegations of passing counterfeit bills.
He was still in custody Thursday morning when the Sheriff’s Office was notified by First National Bank of Boulder that a $20 bill transferred from inmate funds Nov. 21 was fake, said spokesman Lt. Phil West.
Detectives with the Sheriff’s Office and Longmont police compared notes and determined Lawson probably inadvertently passed the counterfeit bill when it was confiscated at the time of his first arrest Nov. 18 and that it was applied toward the jail’s $20 booking fee, West said.
