Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey has filed formal charges against a Denver Police Department officer who allegedly recorded himself with his own body camera as he stole $1,200 from a criminal suspect.
Julian Archuleta, 48, is charged with felony tampering with physical evidence, misdemeanor theft and two counts of first-degree official misconduct, also a misdemeanor, according to a news release from the Denver District Attorney’s Office.
Archuleta, who has been on the force since 2004, was , and he has been released on a $2,000 personal recognizance bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for Dec. 2.
This is the first case in which criminal charges have been filed against a Denver police officer based on his body camera footage.
On Oct. 7, Archuleta, a patrol officer in northwest Denver, assisted at a car crash that happened after other officers pursued a shooting suspect. Archuleta’s body camera recorded as he searched the suspect’s clothing and took pictures of the wrecked car, according to his arrest affidavit.In the footage, Archuleta picked up a stack of cash with a $100 bill on top. He removed that bill, and the footage showed him shuffling papers and cash in his patrol car, the affidavit said.
A detective who later reviewed the body camera footage noticed the $100 bill and questioned why only $118 had been logged into evidence. Archuleta later produced $1,200 and told another detective that it must have fallen into his bag, the affidavit said.
Archuleta has been suspended without pay.
![[prison 19] Caption: This is Cellhouse 1, Pod A, from ground level inside the Sterling Correctional Facility which is located outside of Sterling, Colorado Thursday afternoon. Photographer: LEW SHERMAN Title: FREELANCE Credit: SPECIAL TO THE POST City: Sterling State: CO Country: USA Date: 19990617 ObjectName: prison 19 Keyword: PUBDATE____1999_06_22](/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/20151207__denverpostp1.jpg?w=538 "20151207__denverpost~p1.jpg")
