An Adams County sheriff’s deputy last month said “Yeah, I slipped and fell … I’ll go with that” when talking with other officers about the incident, court document say.
James Cook, 33, has been formally charged with second-degree assault in the March 21 encounter in Brighton. The Weld County District Attorney’s Office says his bail was set at $5,000 during his first appearance before a judge.
On the afternoon of March 21, the Weld and Adams county sheriff’s offices and neighboring jurisdictions were dispatched to the 12000 block of Weld County Road 4 in Brighton in a domestic violence case.
Bond set at $5,000 for James Cook, Adams County deputy charged with 2nd degree assault for allegedly kicking suspect off roof.
— Weld County DA (@WeldCountyDA)
A suspect, 24-year-old Alejandro Martinez, had climbed onto a rooftop and was refusing orders to come down, according to an arrest affidavit for Cook.
Cook, assigned to a police K-9 unit, climbed onto the roof with his dog to take Martinez into custody. The deputy tried twice to deploy his dog, according to the affidavit, but eventually kicked Martinez in the back, sending him off the roof.
Several law enforcement officers and at least one civilian witnessed the kick, the affidavit says.
In his police report, Cook wrote that he gave his dog the bite command and as he was walking toward Martinez, he lost his footing and slid down into the suspect, the affidavit says.
Martinez was taken to the Good Samaritan Medical Center in Lafayette with a broken pelvis. He was then arrested on suspicion of criminal mischief, third-degree assault, obstruction of a police officer and domestic violence.
“The Weld County Sheriff’s Office conducted a full and thorough investigation of the incident, examining the physical evidence at the scene and questioning all who were present at the incident,” the Weld County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. Weld County deputies investigated the case.
The Adams County Sheriff’s Office says Cook has been placed on administrative leave. The agency said it “takes any allegation of criminal activity by its employees seriously. will continue to strive towards building trust in our community.”
