The Wheat Ridge man charged with killing Golden Police Officer Evan Dunn in a Nov. 6 crash is set to enter a plea on Aug. 4.
Stephen Geer, 43, has been charged with vehicular homicide and vehicular assault after he reportedly drove into the scene of a traffic accident along Highway 58, striking four people.
Dunn, 33, died at the scene.
GPD Officer Bethany Grusing was transported to the hospital with serious injuries, but city officials confirmed she has returned to work and has been recovering in the months since the incident.
Two civilians were also injured, according to police reports.
Geer appeared in person at a June 23 hearing, as he’s been out of custody on a $250,000 cash/surety bond since November.
He was listed on the Mines website as a teaching assistant professor in mechanical engineering at the time of the incident. This was still the case as of his most recent court appearance in mid-May.
However, by June 23, Mines spokesperson Erich Kirshner confirmed Geer was no longer employed at the university.
Geer is no longer listed on the Mechanical Engineering Department’s faculty and staff page, as he had been during the 2024-25 academic year, but he is still listed in the Directory of the School. Kirshner said Mines was still updating its website for the 2025-26 academic year.
Since waiving his right to a preliminary hearing in March, Geer has been scheduled for arraignment twice, which is when he would enter a plea. However, both times, his arraignment was continued — once from April 28 and now from June 23.
On April 28, the prosecutor and defense attorney asked the judge for more time to negotiate.
On June 23, based on their comments to Judge Russell Klein, both sides wanted to ensure there was plenty of time to consult the victims in the case. They asked Klein to reschedule Geer’s arraignment for July or August, preferably in the late afternoon to ensure interested parties could attend the hearing.
“The court is very aware of the nature of this case and its complexity,” the prosecutor said.
Klein granted it and rescheduled Geer’s arraignment for 3:30 p.m. Aug. 4 at the Jefferson County Courthouse.
The Nov. 6 incident
According to the arrest affidavit filed against Geer, at 4:38 p.m. Nov. 6, Golden police officers responded to eastbound Highway 58 just east of Washington Avenue. They were investigating a crash between a Toyota Tacoma and a Subaru Crosstrek.
Amid slick and snowy conditions, the Toyota had reportedly lost control while the Subaru was trying to pass, hitting it. Both vehicles were disabled near the median.
All involved vehicles were on the far-left side of Highway 58, according to the affidavit, with a Golden Police vehicle positioned behind the other two. All other traffic was moving to the right, away from the original crash scene.
The Subaru’s driver, the Toyota’s driver and her father, Dunn and Grusing were outside the vehicles getting photos and evaluating the scene at 4:53 p.m. when a black Mazda traveling eastbound entered the area.
The Mazda reportedly hit the Toyota and then the Subaru, pinning Dunn under the latter. He died from his injuries at the scene.
According to the affidavit, Grusing and the Toyota’s driver also sustained serious injuries, with the latter suffering a skull fracture and brain bleed. Her father, who was thrown over the jersey barrier, also sustained a large laceration to his head and elbow, the affidavit describes.
The Subaru driver was uninjured. A third GPD officer who was in the patrol vehicle behind the initial accident scene was also uninjured.
Shortly after the crash, authorities identified Geer as the Mazda’s driver. He reportedly told state troopers at the scene he’d been driving home after having a beer at a local bar with a coworker.
He told troopers he’d noticed “yellow flashing lights and attempted to stop” but wasn’t able to, the affidavit describes.
Investigators detected alcohol on Geer’s breath, the affidavit continues, and he initially agreed to voluntary roadside sobriety tests. However, after he was informed of his Miranda rights around 6:06 p.m., he refused to talk further or complete the sobriety tests.
After receiving a search warrant, investigating troopers completed a blood draw at 8:46 p.m. at the Jeffco jail, the affidavit continues.
It also states that Geer has no previous criminal history.
On Nov. 14, the District Attorney’s Office formally charged Geer with:
- One count of vehicular homicide, a class 3 felony, for Dunn’s death;
- Two counts of vehicular assault, a class 4 felony, for injuring Grusing and the Toyota’s driver;
- One count of third-degree assault, a misdemeanor, for injuring the Toyota’s driver’s father;
- One count of driving under the influence, a misdemeanor.
City officials have confirmed Dunn is the first Golden police officer to be killed in the line of duty.
Over the last several months, Goldenites and others across the country have honored Dunn’s memory by fundraising for his family and Grusing’s recovery.
The community also honored Dunn with temporary and permanent memorials, including adding his name to the Colorado Law Enforcement Memorial at Camp George West and renaming a stretch of Highway 58 in his memory.