The state parole officer killed in a hit-and-run crash in Colorado Springs on Thursday was trying to contact a suspect in his car when she and another officer were struck by the man as he fled the scene.
Officer Christine Guerin Sandoval was with two other parole officers in the parking lot of a business near the intersection of North Spruce and East Bijou streets at approximately 3:49 p.m. when they tried to check on Justin Andrew Kula, 41, in his car.
Kula was known to the officers and they were trying to check his welfare, Colorado Springs Police Department spokesperson Ira Cronin said at a news conference Friday.
Kula allegedly struck Sandoval and another officer as he fled the scene, Cronin said. Both officers were transported to UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central, where Sandoval died of her injuries. The other officer, a woman, was treated and released Thursday night.
Kula was arrested after a shelter-in-place was issued in the 400 block of Glen View Court in Colorado Springs. Cronin credited community members’ tips in response to a 6:17 p.m. Blue Alert about the suspect and his vehicle with his capture. Blue Alerts are activated when a person suspected of injuring or killing a law enforcement officer is at large.
No charges have been filed in the case, but the police department is seeking an arrest warrant for manslaughter, leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death and third-degree assault on a peace officer, Cronin said.
Sandoval was a mother, daughter, wife and protector, Colorado Department of Corrections Executive Director Andre Stancil said at the news conference.
“Christine took an oath and that oath was to protect the citizens of the state of Colorado and she lost her life doing just that,” Stancil said.
Stancil did not name the officer who was injured but said she is at home recovering.
Fourth Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen said his office will file the appropriate charges in the case once it’s turned over by the police department.
“(Sandoval), like officers who serve in uniform every single day, served to protect our community and she gave her life in service to our community,” Allen said.
He added that his office will take the case as seriously as possible.
“As is always the case, we will not try this case in the media and we are going to be responsible to our ethical obligations as it relates to the information we can share,” he said.
The death is a reminder of the dangerous complexity of the work law enforcement officers face and underscores the need to support them, said Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade.
“Friends, in the face of tragedy, our true strength as a community lies in our ability to come together and care for one another and support each other during these challenging times,” he said. “May we work together toward a future where everyone feels safe, respected and valued and may we honor the memory of Officer Christine Guerin Sandoval by living with courage, empathy, humility and unity.”
