DENVER (AP) — A Colorado police officer who put a handcuffed lady in a parked police automobile that was hit by a freight prepare was discovered responsible of reckless endangerment and assault however was acquitted of a 3rd cost of legal try and commit manslaughter throughout a trial Friday.
Jordan Steinke was the primary of two officers to go to trial over the Sept. 16, 2022, crash that left Yareni Rios-Gonzalez seriously injured.
“There’s no cheap doubt that putting a handcuffed particular person behind a patrol automotive, parked on railroad tracks, creates a considerable and unjustifiable danger of hurt by the prepare,” mentioned Decide Timothy Kerns.
However the proof didn’t persuade Kerns that Steinke “knowingly meant to hurt Ms. Rios-Gonzalez,” and he added that Stienke had proven “shock and regret.”
Steinke testified that she did not know that the patrol automotive of one other officer she was serving to was parked on the tracks despite the fact that they are often seen on her physique digicam footage together with two railroad crossing indicators. Steinke mentioned she was targeted on the menace that would come from Rios-Gonzalez and her pickup truck, not the bottom.
Steinke mentioned she put Rios-Gonzalez within the different officer’s automobile as a result of it was the closest spot to briefly maintain her. She mentioned she didn’t know the prepare was coming till simply earlier than it hit.
The decide discovered that Steinke noticed the tracks, however did not “recognize the danger.”
There was no jury in Steinke’s trial, which began Monday. As a substitute, Kerns listened to the proof and issued the decision. Mallory Revel, Steinke’s lawyer, didn’t instantly reply to requests by cellphone and e mail for remark.
Steinke, who was working for the Fort Lupton Police Division on the time of the crash, was charged with legal try and commit manslaughter, a felony; and reckless endangerment and third-degree assault, each misdemeanors.
The opposite officer, Pablo Vazquez, who labored for the police division in close by Platteville, is being prosecuted for misdemeanor counts of reckless endangerment and site visitors offenses. He hasn’t entered a plea but. His lawyer, Reid Elkus, didn’t instantly reply to a request by cellphone for remark.
Vazquez pulled over Rios-Gonzalez on a rural highway that intersects U.S. Freeway 85 after she was accused of pointing a gun at one other driver. Trains move on tracks that parallel the freeway a few dozen occasions a day, prosecutors mentioned, and the sound of their horns is frequent within the space north of Denver.
Rios-Gonzalez, who suffered a traumatic mind damage, is suing over her treatment. She later pleaded no contest to misdemeanor menacing, mentioned one among her legal professionals, Chris Ponce, who was in court docket to observe the trial. Rios-Gonzalez didn’t testify or attend herself.
Steinke mentioned she positioned Rios-Gonzalez within the different police automotive briefly as a result of it was the closest place to maintain her safe, a transfer that’s commonplace follow for high-risk site visitors stops, mentioned protection skilled witness Steve Ijames. He additionally testified that in harmful conditions officers can turn into hyperfocused on explicit threats and overlook issues that grow to be vital in hindsight.
Steinke, who drove at round 100 mph (161 kph) at occasions on her approach to backup Vazquez, testified that she was stunned to see him sitting in his automobile when she arrived, slightly than pointing a gun at Rios-Gonzalez’s truck. She mentioned she rapidly parked her patrol automobile behind his and obtained out as a result of it was the quickest manner “to get a gun within the struggle.”
Steinke additionally mentioned she didn’t discover the tracks or the bottom when she squatted all the way down to arrest a kneeling Rios-Gonzalez alongside the tracks after the suspect was ordered out of her pickup truck.
When pressed by Deputy District Lawyer Christopher Jewkes, Steinke replied, “I’m positive I noticed the tracks sir, however I didn’t understand them.” She mentioned she was targeted on the suspect and the potential menace she posed and was “pretty sure” that the site visitors cease would finish in gunfire.
“I by no means in 1,000,000 years thought a prepare was going to return plowing via my scene,” Steinke mentioned.
The Weld County District Lawyer’s workplace didn’t instantly reply to a request by cellphone for remark.
This story has been up to date to right that the officer was acquitted of the cost of legal try and commit manslaughter, not manslaughter.
Bedayn is a corps member for the Related Press/Report for America Statehouse Information Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit nationwide service program that locations journalists in native newsrooms to report on undercovered points.
