Colorado State Patrol

Kicking Ass

Hell on Wheels

Colorado Highways are safer now than they've been in decades. So what are drivers so mad about?

Best Place to Equip Yourself Like Erik Estrada

Colorado State Patrol Specialty Store

The Siege

The new sheriff vowed to clean up the town of San Luis. For many locals, the price was too high.

The Center Will Not Hold

Denver's on an artistic collision course this weekend.

Off Limits

The yolk's on us

Target Practice

A class-action suit becomes a vehicle for racial justice.

Sad But True

And God said Ha! (Can you blame Him?)

Off Limits

Closed calls...

MAKING A CASE FOR MURDER

THE CIPRIANI BROTHERS WILL TRY TO PROVE IN CIVIL COURT THAT TROOPER BOB BENEFIEL KILLED THEIR SISTER.

Drive safely this weekend -- or else an army of cops will bust your ass

This weekend, law enforcement agencies across the state will be out in force to make sure you don't do anything stupid behind the wheel over the Memorial Day weekend. This link on the Colorado Department of Transportation website details the specific plans of 85 separate organizations. For instanc ... More >>

Hey, drunk drivers: Get busted here tonight

The "100 Days of Heat" campaign, in which local police agencies step up their efforts to put drunk drivers behind bars before they can kill anyone, is in full force this weekend in at least a couple of local municipalities. Lakewood is announcing a handful of sobriety checkpoints to be put in plac ... More >>

A Hummer driver with road rage? Well, that's unexpected!

The car looks like this, but presumably with way more blood on it. In perhaps the least surprising news since the cancellation of Frank TV, Colorado State Patrol troopers are looking for the driver of an Hummer H2 who, in a fit of road rage, may have intentionally caused a wreck that left a motorc ... More >>

Have you been pulled over by the worst police impersonator ever?

Not a photo of the actual impersonation suspect (we're pretty sure).​How convincing a cop was a 24-year-old Colorado Springs man currently being held on felony police-impersonation charges? Well, the vehicle he used was a gray 1995 Cadillac sedan, the sort of car preferred by eighty-year-old r ... More >>

New site studies why (and where) wildlife cross the road

A black bear uses a culvert to cross under I-70. Photo courtesy Center for Native Ecosystems.​A newly launched website allows Colorado motorists to log on and report sightings of wildlife along the I-70 corridor between Golden and Glenwood Springs. While handy for alerting highway maintenance ... More >>

RU-Buzzed? or are you going to get a DUI?

​There were a lot of new iPhones opened on Christmas Day, and that was a big present for the Colorado Department of Transportation, which created its own iPhone application in November to help people measure whether they are too drunk to drive.

David Dolan, Colorado State Patrol officer, arrested for investigation of driving drunk in squad car

A 9News image of CSP's David Dolan getting busted.​Usually, Colorado State Patrol officers respond to reports of erratic driving. But this morning, things worked the other way around. Motorists complained about problems relating to a CSP vehicle, leading to a stop by Douglas County Sheriff's O ... More >>

David Dolan likely first-ever Colorado State Patrol trooper caught driving drunk on duty, spokesman says

David Dolan during a more sober moment.​Colorado State Patrol Trooper David Dolan spent 21 years on the job without getting nearly as much attention as he did yesterday, when Douglas County Sheriff's Office personnel pulled him over and arrested him on suspicion of drunk driving. It was certa ... More >>

Paralyzed in a police shooting, Darrell Havens is paying a terrible price for his crimes. So are taxpayers.

David Dolan during a more sober moment.​Colorado State Patrol Trooper David Dolan spent 21 years on the job without getting nearly as much attention as he did yesterday, when Douglas County Sheriff's Office personnel pulled him over and arrested him on suspicion of drunk driving. It was certa ... More >>

Vampire made me crash my SUV, woman says

Prime suspect?​With Eclipse, the latest film in the über-popular Twlight series, due to hit theaters nationwide today, Americans everywhere have vampires on their mind. But a Fruita area woman was ahead of the bloodsucking curve. After she crashed her SUV on Sunday evening, she reportedly to ... More >>

Betsy Long blew a .252 after crash that killed Mary Warren: Drunk driving times three

Betsy Long in a 9News image.​Alleged wrong-way drunk driver Betsy Long, a onetime green-biz entrepreneur, faces vehicular homicide charges and more in a July 5 crash that killed Mary Warren, a 22-year old bound for the Peace Corps. And according to prosecutors, she cleared the legal .08 blood- ... More >>

Fourteen-year old leads Colorado State Patrol on 100 mile chase in (possibly) stolen car

From 9News coverage.​What's the most memorable thing you did at age fourteen? In all likelihood, it was less audacious, and less dangerous, than the acts committed earlier today by an Eastern Colorado teen, who led the Colorado State Patrol on a high-speed chase for a hundred miles before fina ... More >>

ICE arrests focus on criminal aliens: 78 busts include man convicted of making terrorist threat

​These days, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, better known as ICE, emphasizes that it's targeting criminal aliens, not otherwise law-abiding citizens who lack documentation authorizing their U.S. residency. And that's the theme of ICE's latest Colorado busts. Of the 78 people rounded up fr ... More >>

Ron Rocha, Regis coach, part of 20-kilos-a-week cocaine-ring bust: See mug shots & drug photos

Large photos below.​Last month, Ron Rocha, a volunteer baseball coach for Regis University, was on the losing end of an intra-squad matchup dubbed the Fall World Series. But he suffered an even greater defeat yesterday, when he was among 35 people named by the U.S. Attorney's Office in the bus ... More >>

Road to nowhere: The men who are caught transporting illegal immigrants rarely pay the price

Large photos below.​Last month, Ron Rocha, a volunteer baseball coach for Regis University, was on the losing end of an intra-squad matchup dubbed the Fall World Series. But he suffered an even greater defeat yesterday, when he was among 35 people named by the U.S. Attorney's Office in the bus ... More >>

Human smuggling: In first case after '06 state law passed, federal prosecutors took over

​ Most human smuggling cases in Colorado are handled by state prosecutors using a 2006 state law -- the effectiveness of which is questioned in this week's feature story, "Disappearing Act." But human smuggling remains a federal crime, as well -- and in cases where there are aggravating facto ... More >>

Are these your stolen family photos & property?: See gallery o' stuff possibly traded for meth

Large photos below.​Last month, Araphaoe County Sheriff's Office reps discovered a storage unit full of presumably stolen items that may have been traded for meth; Ali Samei was busted on drug-related charges. The weird collection ranges from a slot machine to family photos that may show victi ... More >>

Betsy Long pleads guilty in wrong-way crash, when her blood-alcohol level was .252

9News​A short time ago, 9News reports, Betsy Long, who was accused of causing a July crash that killed Mary Warren, a young CSU grad bound for the Peace Corps, pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide, vehicular assault, leaving the scene of an accident and DUI. Regarding the last charge, Long re ... More >>

Betsy Long sentenced to 15 years in wrong-way drunk-driving crash that killed Mary Warren

9News​Betsy Long, the former green-biz entrepreneur who blew a .252 blood alcohol content following a crash that killed Mary Warren, a young woman bound for the Peace Corps, pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and more in December. But accepting responsibility didn't result in a small sentenc ... More >>

St. Patrick's Day DUI cost according to Denver Police Dept.: $10,000 and maybe much more

​Ah, St. Patrick's Day. A holiday dedicated to drinking. And drinking. And then, once you're done drinking, drinking some more. After which the real drinking begins. So is the Denver Police Department in Full Alert Panic Mode on this fine, green morn? Not exactly. But they are prepared.

THC driving limits: William Breathes is still waiting....

​After a week, I finally got the results from my blood test last Friday -- and unfortunately, the lab didn't give me the information I'd asked for. Fortunately, the state senate's judiciary committee just pushed back discussion of HB1261, also known as the marijuana DUI bill, by a week.

William Lornes: Cherry Creek mall kidnapping suspect now accused of 1st degree murder

Big pic below.​Update: Earlier, we noted that William Lornes, 24, was being held for car theft but wondered if accusations related to a Cherry Creek Shopping Center kidnapping were on the way. Instead, such charges have been preceded by a first-degree murder beef linked to the homicide of Gera ... More >>

Top 10 flipping the bird moments in honor of Shane Boor, whose finger case has been dropped

​Shane Boor, who faced harassment charges for flipping off a state trooper, is free to let his finger fly again. The Colorado State Patrol requested that the matter be dropped after the ACLU let it be known the organization would defend Boor's right to express himself digitally -- just like th ... More >>

Lisa Norton, hit & swim driver in fatal Gabriel Nielsen crash: DUI beefs, pot in truck (VIDEO)

Big pic below.​The case of Lisa Norton, who's accused of trying to swim away from a fatal accident she allegedly caused, keeps getting more bizarre. Authorities now confirm that she was sentenced to probation for DUI last Thursday, just two days before the crash that killed Gabriel Nielsen -- ... More >>

Lee Grace Dougherty shot after car flip in wild roundup of the Dougherty gang

Big pics below.​Yesterday morning's arrest of the Dougherty gang was just as wild as the crime spree that precipitated the trio's cross-country sprint. It involved a car chase, a flipped car and the shooting of Lee Grace Dougherty, the proud redneck and ex-stripper whose skanky bikini photos ... More >>

Drug enforcement checkpoint on I-25: Five tickets, two arrests out of 32 stops

​Update:On August 9, the Westminster Police Department manned a "DRUG ENFORCEMENT CHECKPOINT" on I-25. Last week, WPD Investigator Trevor Materasso confirmed the operation, but didn't have many details. Now, however, he's able to provide the specifics. Officers issued tickets or made arrests i ... More >>

Amy Howard, Jane McConnell & Susan Graves hurt in SUV-vs.-bikes crash: Inquiry continues

Video below.​It's been a dangerous summer for bicyclists in the Boulder area. Eugene Howrey, 73, was killed after being hit by a truck in June -- and yesterday, Amy Howard, Jane McConnell and Susan Graves were all injured (Howard critically) after an encounter with an SUV. But a spokeswoman fo ... More >>

John Hickenlooper: Occupy Denver protesters can't stay overnight, deciding how to evict them

​The tent city that sprang up in relation to Occupy Denver, the local version of the Occupy Wall Street protests, can't become a permanent fixture at the State Capitol, Governor John Hickenlooper said today -- and the Colorado State Patrol confirms that discussions will be underway soon to det ... More >>

Occupy Denver: State Patrol spokesman says approach to dealing with protesters "evolving"

​As we reported yesterday, Governor John Hickenlooper said Occupy Denver protesters can't continue camping overnight near the State Capitol -- but he acknowledged that jurisdictional issues have complicated things. Such issues have yet to be resolved, says a Colorado State Patrol spokesman. Bu ... More >>

Occupy Denver: John Hickenlooper and Michael Hancock have a stinky mess on their hands

Gitmo on the Platte.​Even as the last chapter of the three-year-old protests during the Democratic National Convention was closed in federal court, Mayor Michael Hancock and Governor John Hickenlooper were grappling with the challenge of dealing with the the Occupy Denver protesters they can s ... More >>

Occupy Denver's Facebook responses to authorities clearing out tent city near Capitol

​Update: The latest Occupy Denver Facebook post: "Ground Update: Central camp has been evacuated and the final structures have come down. There were a few arrests of those defending our kitchen. Occupiers have been pushed out to the perimeters of Lincoln park and yet... Occupy Denver lives on. ... More >>

Occupy Denver has cost Denver Police and Sheriff Departments $365,000

​Update, 4:28 p.m. October 21: The Denver Police Department has released the cost incurred by the DPD and the Sheriff's Department to monitor Occupy Denver, particularly over last weekend's demonstrations: approximately $365,000. The number also includes the costs of other city agencies that p ... More >>

Occupy Denver: Belongings lost during protests treated as "found and abandoned property"

​During the two days of police-attended demonstrations last weekend, the last thing most people at Occupy Denver were thinking about was their stuff. A week later, this has created confusion among many who lost their belongings, which were later collected by the Colorado State Patrol while off ... More >>

Occupy Denver: Stephen Lidanne arrested for occupying an igloo after hours

Stephen Lidanne.​Let's recap: By this point, It has been firmly established that Mayor Michael Hancock, the Denver Police Department, Governor John Hickenlooper and the Colorado State Patrol have no intention of allowing Occupy Denver to use tents. Such encampments have been referred to as a " ... More >>

Occupy Denver: ACLU investigating the seizure of personal property during most recent raid

​One week after the Colorado ACLU launched an investigation into the constitutionality of police action at Occupy Denver, the group has yet to receive the records it requested from the Denver Police Department and the Colorado State Patrol. In the meantime, the ACLU is researching a secondary ... More >>

Reader: Ecoterrorists will be all over "Over the River"

​It's not quite a wrap, but when the Bureau of Land Management announced that it had approved Christo's "Over the River," the art installation proposed for a 42-mile stretch of the Arkansas River in southern Colorado cleared yet another hurdle.

Reader: Occupy Denver legal team member calls out ACLU over civil-rights case claims

​Kelsey Whipple's recent post about Occupy Denver's legal team exploring legal precedents involving tents as examples of speech drew a sharp response from a member of the occupation's Legal Issues Working Group. His post focuses on both the aforementioned lawyers and the ACLU, which he feels c ... More >>

A timeline of Occupy Denver activities

​Kelsey Whipple's recent post about Occupy Denver's legal team exploring legal precedents involving tents as examples of speech drew a sharp response from a member of the occupation's Legal Issues Working Group. His post focuses on both the aforementioned lawyers and the ACLU, which he feels c ... More >>

Drunken speeding is no reason to be fired, says ex-cop Derrick Saunders

​The Denver Police Department has had a difficult time firing bad cops over the past few years. And while the Department of Safety finally made some headway in 2011, it still has issues. For example, when Derrick Curtis Saunders was canned earlier this month, a whopping eighteen months after ... More >>

Lisa Wimberger gets a book deal and will return to ILEETA conference

Photo by Charlie Smith​In June 2011, we profiled Lisa Wimberger (pictured), who teaches stress-relief techniques, including meditation, to police officers across the metro area via her organization, Trance Personnel Consulting Group (TPCG). Since then, Wimberger has landed a book deal, and she ... More >>