Weld County police officials are working to revamp policies dealing with high-speed chases, a move at least partly prompted by a November pursuit that ended with the death of a sheriff’s deputy and a suspect.
Weld County Sheriff John Cooke said the county’s Multi-Jurisdictional Pursuit Policy was already in need of an update. “The policy was signed off by the police chiefs about 14 years ago, and out of 20 of those who signed off on it, only about four are left.”
But the shooting death of Weld Deputy Sam Brownlee made a policy review even more important.
“I think it just hastened things a little bit,” Cooke said.
Brownlee was killed at the end of a Nov. 23 high-speed chase that began when Rueben Reyes fled from police in Fort Morgan. The pursuit stretched into Evans, where after his car was stopped, Reyes was able to grab Brownlee’s gun and fatally shoot the deputy. An Evans officer, who has not been identified, then shot and killed Reyes.
In a detailed review of the events that preceded the shooting of Brownlee, a three-person panel appointed by Cooke found that improvements in training and interagency communication might help prevent a similar tragedy from happening again.
Denver attorney Michael Evans, who represents the Reyes family, has said his clients are contemplating a lawsuit against the county. However, he told the county the family also could discuss a $250,000 settlement or would waive a lawsuit if the sheriff would reprimand or fire the officers involved and apologize.
Evans said Tuesday that his client’s problems are not with the existing chase policy but with how the confrontation with Reyes was handled.
Still, the family might appreciate that at least some of the rules of the chase may be changed, Evans said.
Cooke said about “90 percent” of the policy will remain the same. But police have to take into account updates in technology, including the arrival of an 800 megahertz communications system that allows most agencies in northern Colorado to be connected to one network.
“In all, our policy, I think, is pretty good,” Cooke said. “It just needs updating.”
