The responding officer to an accidental shooting at the apartment of Thornton’s new police in May did not have his body camera on, an apparent violation of police policy.

Thornton Police Department admitted the responding sergeant should have been rolling on his body camera when responding to the apartment of incoming Chief Jim Baird on May 14, according to Channel 9 News.

Technically at the time of the shooting, Baird was not yet Thornton’s police chief. He was sworn in as chief on May 27.

Baird said he was trying out different magazines on a new Sig Sauer 9 mm handgun when it was fired. He said he was on the phone and was multitasking when the gun fired.

The bullet went through a kitchen cabinet inside the apartment, and nobody was injured, according to CBS News Colorado.

“I should have known better,” Baird told CBS News Colorado. “It’s a mistake I’ll never make again.”

The City of Thornton said in a statement that Baird immediately tried to contact residents to make sure nobody had been hit. Baird then reported the incident to the interim police chief, who came to the apartment with an on-duty sergeant from the Thornton Police Department.

The investigation found no evidence of negligence or criminal conduct and Baird was not cited or arrested, according to a City of Thornton statement.

Channel 9 News reported that in a statement from the Thornton Police Department, the police acknowledged that on the evening of the incident, there were assumptions made that the situation was a “personnel/administrative matter instead of an investigation with a member of the public.”

“In review, the Sergeant should have had his body camera turned on, and this will be addressed internally, consistent with other incidents where a body-worn camera is not properly activated,” the statement said. “Furthermore, steps will be taken to clarify the interpretation of the BWC policy for all personnel for unique situations as our personnel faced on that evening.”

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Southbound lanes of I-25 near 84^th Avenue and Grant Street were closed for about two hours Wednesday morning after the Colorado State Patrol used a “grapple” device to halt a suspect driving at a high speed in a stolen Ram pickup.

A CSP Trooper responded to the area after a Thornton Police Officer requested assistance with the stolen Ram.

The trooper attempted to stop the stolen vehicle by using a “grapple,” which was unsuccessful, according to a CSP news release.

Following the first grapple attempt, the Ram turned onto southbound Interstate 25 from 84th Avenue, where the Trooper was able to use the grapple successfully to stop the stolen vehicle.

A police grappler is a device attached to the front of a police vehicle that uses a net or strap to safely and effectively stop a fleeing vehicle. It deploys a net or strap that wraps around the rear tire of the suspect’s vehicle, bringing it to a controlled stop and preventing a high-speed chase from escalating into a dangerous situation, according to police department pages. 

But after stopping the Ram, the Colorado State Patrol cruiser was yanked into the jersey barrier on the left side of the southbound Interstate 25 shoulder, disabling the patrol vehicle. The Trooper sustained no injuries, the news release states.

Following the stop, the suspect fled on foot and was apprehended by Thornton Police Officers south-east of the final stop location.

All lanes of travel for southbound Interstate 25 were closed following the incident for the initial investigation but were reopened by 5:20 a.m. the news release states.

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City Forester Bryan McCoy is on the frontlines in the battle against the voracious Emerald ash borer, the killer of millions of ash trees and considered the most destructive tree insect pest in North America.

“They move quickly into the ash trees, and they are so aggressive that even healthy trees die within two or four years after being infected,” McCoy said.

Trees may be well into their death throes, but many people don’t realize that the first signs of fatal infections is the thinning of leaves at the very top of the tree, he said.

“Most are only concerned about what’s going on at eye-level of a tree,” McCoy said. “They don’t think to look up.”’

Westminster has about 69,000 ash trees on private property, just part of the 1.2 million in the Denver-metro area. The city has been assessing city-owned ash trees on city property for treatment since 2013, McCoy said.

The city estimates one out of every seven trees in Westminster is an ash.

The city completed a tree inventory in 2023 to identify ash trees in the city’s Right-Of-Way areas, within about 12 feet from the curb into a yard or property. The study found 3,174 ash trees worth preserving.

The city says that ash trees that do not meet the treatment criteria must be removed because the infected ash trees will eventually die. Removing untreated trees early temporarily slows the spread of Emerald ash borers, reduces the risk to tree workers, and can speed up replanting efforts by prioritizing re-planting locations.

The city treated those trees between July and September 2023 using a micro-injection system that put the product directly into the tree trunk, according to the city website.

Untreated trees to be removed

The city does not have enough personnel to remove tainted trees on private property, McCoy said. He urges property owners to use a different species of tree to replace their ash.  

“The ash borer only infests that ash tree,” McCoy said. “We really encourage everyone to get a different tree to help stop the spread of the EAB.”

To help pick a new tree, the Colorado Department of Agriculture offers a database of registered nurseries and landscape contractors.  

The Emerald ash borer is native to Asia and was introduced into North America sometime during the 1990s, probably via ash wood pallets or wood packing material, according to Colorado State University’s Warner College of Natural Resources.

Since its initial discovery in southeastern Michigan in 2002, the insect has killed millions of ash trees throughout the central and northeastern United States and Canada, according to CSU.  An infestation was first detected in Colorado in the City of Boulder in September 2013. Approximately 15 percent of the trees in Colorado’s urban forests are ash, making this insect a major threat to urban forests statewide, says CSU

EAB has spread to other cities and towns on the Front Range and Thornton is the first Colorado city east of I-25 to confirm EAB. The insect was recently detected in Oregon as well, McCoy said.

On a recent afternoon, McCoy walked down a sidewalk behind several businesses near Sheridan Boulevard and found numerous signs of Emerald ash borer infestation. Several round holes penetrated the bark of ash trees, signs that the hungry insect was gorging throughout the tree.

Ash trees are popular because they throw off plenty of shade and are colorful in the fall, McCoy said. If left alone, he added, they can live several decades. “But these (near Sheridan) may not make it much longer,” McCoy said. “It’s sad.”

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City officials Monday night saluted Elizabeth Ann Price as Westminster’s “mom” lauding her work as an educator, journalist and historian.

Councilor Obi Ezeadi also made sure people knew that Price’s kindness was just as remarkable as all her other achievements.

“She really was the mom of Westminster,” Ezeadi said as he introduced a proclamation during the regular city council meeting honoring Price. “She advocated for me when no one else would. She always said we do all things in love…and because of love.”

At least a dozen of Price’s family and friends crowded Ezeadi as he stood in front of the council to read the proclamation for the 98-year-old Price, who died June 3.

Price was a booster for the city but also reminded officials that there had been long-standing mistrust between residents and the city’s government, Ezeadi said.

“She always said that a community is bigger than streets and lights,” he said.

Invested deeply

Price was born in Kansas and moved to Westminster in 1951 with her husband, Garnet. Once here, they built their home, raised five children and “…invested deeply in the life of the city for over seven decades,” the proclamation states.

She taught at Westminster High School, Hodgkins Junior High and eventually Ranum High School, where she served as journalism advisor for The Ranum Roundup until her retirement in 1992. She left behind “generations of students who remember her guidance and care…” the proclamation states.

Price was “cornerstone of Westminster’s civic and cultural life, serving over 20 years with the Westminster Retired School Employees Association, more than 25 years on the Friends of the Westminster Public Library Board, and as an honorary member and historian of Zeta Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma,” the proclamation states.

She received numerous recognitions and awards, including the “Light of Christ” award from the Denver Presbytery and “Citizen of the Year” from the Westminster Legacy Foundation. She also authored the 125-year history of the Westminster Presbyterian Church and became a meticulous family historian, compiling extensive genealogies that connected relatives across generations and continents, a “…labor of love that enriched her community and kin,” the proclamation states.

Her son, Larry Price, said his mother stayed active throughout her life and was a living historical resource for the whole community.

“You could come to her and learn the history of Westminster,” Price said. “She did not have to pick up a book or anything.”

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Rosie, the Chilean Rose Hair tarantula, was bugging Kiara Peters Saturday and the Loveland residents couldn’t get enough.

“I love tarantulas so much,” said Peters, who stood in line inside Westminster’s Butterfly Pavilion to just let Rosie scuttle onto her hand for a few minutes.

“She is so cute, and I just love her,” said Peters, who finds the multi-legged Rosie irresistible. “Maybe it’s those eight legs. I just can’t get enough.”

Rosie has been part of the Butterfly Pavilion’s family for nearly 30 years. She and Goldie – a Chaco Golden Knee tarantula – along with other spiders, scorpions and millipedes are taking centerstage this weekend during the Butterfly Pavilion’s “Insectival: 30th anniversary “Bug Bash.”

The epic festival honors the varied and unsung world of invertebrates, or animals without backbones, say organizers.

“This is essentially a festival of life,” said Ryan Welch, the pavilion’s new president and CEO. “We want the public to have fun but also get educated on how these animals are essentially the foundation of life.”

The festival was expected to draw 3,000 people to enjoy live music, face painting, immersive exhibits, educational workshops, a marketplace and  firsthand animal encounters, said Butterfly Pavilion spokeswoman Jennifer Quermann. Festival-goers also got to see butterfly releases and cockroach races, Quermann said.

Amidst the fun, Quermann and others want to drive home the point that creepy crawlies like Rosie keep humanity alive.

“While people are here, we want to show people that these are animals we need to survive,” she said.

On Monday, Gov. Jared Polis issued a proclamation honoring invertebrates and the work of the Butterfly Pavilion.

“…Butterfly Pavilion has inspired millions in Colorado and around the world through hands-on learning, scientific innovation, global partnerships that protect invertebrates and the ecosystem they sustain…” the proclamation states.

Invertebrates are the earth’s “tiny heroes” who make up more than 97% or all animal species and are essential to life on earth, states the pavilion. From pollinating crops to cleaning waterways, insects pollinate crops and clean waterways, supporting entire ecosystems, Quermann said in a news release.

But habitat loss, pollution and climate change are causing invertebrates to disappear at an alarming rate. If bugs completely exit the earth, people won’t be far behind.

“If invertebrates were to completely disappear, we (humans) would not last very long,” Quermann said. “But if we disappeared, invertebrates would continue on.”

Crawling for 30 years

The Bug Bash will also spotlight the efforts of the Butterfly Pavilion to fight for invertebrates during the facility’s 30-year history, she said. This effort has been through conservation science, public education and groundbreaking research.

Insectival, Quermann said,  is a “movement, inviting the community to honor three decades of impact and join the fight for our planet’s smallest, mightiest animals. “

Bug Bash goes until 7 p.m. Saturday at the Butterfly Pavilion, 6252 W. 104^th Avenue, Westminster. It continues Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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A 51-year-old man faces a sentence of mandatory life in prison without the possibility of parole after being convicted Thursday of first-degree murder for a fatal 2016 stabbing inside a Dollar Store in Adams County.

Jurors convicted Anthony Dennis Grayson after a four-day trial in Adams County District Court.  Grayson will be sentenced on July 29.

The case experienced multiple delays due to issues related to the defendant’s competency. Ultimately, he was found competent to proceed and chose to represent himself at trial, according to an Adams County District Office news release.

On September 1, 2016, the Adams County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of a stabbing at the Dollar Store located at 7067 Pecos Street.

Surveillance footage and eyewitness testimony revealed that Grayson confronted the victim, Alejandro Alvear, inside the store, according to the news release. After a brief exchange, Grayson pulled a knife and stabbed Mr. Alvear multiple times. Mr. Alvear was transported to Denver Health Medical Center, where he was later pronounced deceased. 

Witnesses, including a store employee, stated that Grayson demanded money back from Mr. Alvear and threatened to stab him if he refused. The incident was captured on a store surveillance video. Grayson was taken into custody at the scene and later charged, the news release states. 

“This was a senseless act of violence in a public setting that cost a man his life,” said District Attorney Brian Mason in the news release. “Thanks to the excellent work of law enforcement, eyewitnesses, and our prosecution team, we were able to secure justice for Mr. Alvear and his family.” 

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A Thornton Police Officer will not face criminal charges for his role in the shooting death of William Skells who was found dead in a residence at 16024 Columbine St. on Oct. 9, 2024.

An autopsy by the Adams County Coroner determined that Skells died from a single gunshot wound to his abdomen from a rifle round fired by Officer Robert Smedley.

Skells had shot one Thornton Police officer in the shoulder before he was shot by Smedley. Skells had fired several rounds at other officers during a violent standoff with police at the residence, according to a letter from Adams County District Attorney Brian Mason, which was released Thursday.

One officer said he felt “we were going to die that day” and at least two officers were transported to a local hospital after being wounded by Skells, Mason states.

Surrounding the house

According to Mason’s letter, Smedley responded to 16024 Columbine St. on a report of shots fired inside the residence and a possible fire. Smedley and another officer were positioned on East 160^th Place to assist with a visual of the rear of the residence.

At about 9:05 a.m. shots were fired from inside the residence towards the two officers. At that time, neither officer returned fire as they did not have a clear visual of the shooter, Mason said.

Skells fired several shots from the front of the residence toward officers, wounding two and keeping others trapped behind their vehicles. Smedley, who couldn’t see the front of the residence, received updated radio reports that an officer was down.

“He was concerned that the worst-case scenario had occurred and that an officer had been killed,” Mason states.

Skells exited the residence with empty hands. Smedley and the other officer gave him repeated commands to keep his hands up and told him he was under arrest.

Although Skells had just shot one officer already, another officer tried to engage with Skells and build a rapport to convince him to give himself up peacefully.

“This effort was unsuccessful,” according to Mason.

Smedley was about 40 to 50 feet away from Skells, who had taken a seat on an outdoor couch. When Skells again stood up and began to retreat toward the door to enter the residence, he ignored commands to stop and not go inside, Mason said. Smedley then fired two shots, with one striking and killing Skells, Mason said.

Legally justified, DA decided

During the standoff with the police, Skells told the police department’s crisis negotiation team that the “CIA is doing PsyOps” on his home, Mason wrote.

The shooting was reviewed by the 17^th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team, led by two Adams County Sheriff’s deputies. Other investigators who reviewed the conduct of Thornton officers are associated with law enforcement agencies independent of the Thornton Police Department, Mason said.  

“I find Officer Smedley’s actions to be legally justified in this matter,” Mason states in his letter, which outlines the circumstances of the shooting. “William Skells had already shot several rounds at multiple officers in the front yard, hitting and wounding one officer, while another officer was also wounded after … Skells fired and shattered the glass on a vehicle.

“Officer Smedley evaluated the circumstance in this moment and worked to prevent William Skells from re-entering the residence, accessing additional firearms and then shooting at officers or members of the public again,” Mason said.

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The City of Thornton this week sent a clear message of support to six home rule cities suing the State of Colorado and Gov. Jared Polis for overstepping onto local land use policies. Westminster is one of the cities that is part of the lawsuit.

The six cities claim that two bills passed in the 2024 Legislature violate the Colorado Constitution. The cities are seeking an injunction against the enforcement of the legislation as well as an executive order from Polis.

“I think we’ve seen over the last several years, many different attempts to take away home-rule authority,” Thornton City Councilwoman Jessica Sandgren said Tuesday night. “We know what’s best for our city.”

Sandgren introduced a resolution backing the lawsuit, which the council passed unanimously. Mayor Jan Kulmann added she wanted the city to send a copy of the resolution to Polis.

The resolution targets House Bill 24-1304 – regarding minimum parking requirements- and House Bill 24-1313 – aimed at housing in transit-oriented communities – that purport to place statewide mandates governing land use and zoning legislation on a limited group of home rule cities.

The resolution also cites Polis and his executive order “declaring that municipalities failing to comply with the …bills…will be deprioritized for competitive or discretionary funding opportunities, including grants, contracts, loans, and tax credits.”

The resolution states that the City of Thornton “affirms its longstanding support of the powers granted by the Constitution of the State of Colorado, which include home rule authority over zoning and land use planning.”

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Westminster Councilors are inching toward asking voters, again, for more money for the fire department.

Councilors Monday night directed city staff members to move forward with a plan to engage the community about putting a 0.4% sales tax increase on the November ballot, said city spokesman Andy Le.

The next step will be a July 24 town hall at West View Recreation Center to hash over the idea of a tax increase, Le said.

The potential sales tax increase would be dedicated to building a central fire station, hiring firefighters and EMTs to staff the central station and a new north fire station that the city will build using urban renewal funds, Le said via email.

The city would also dedicate $2 million annually for neighborhood streets – not major arterials, he said.

Councilors want to hear the community’s feedback on July 24 before ballot language is reviewed and approved no later than August 25.

Survey shows support

Councilors Monday night were buoyed somewhat by a survey conducted from June 24 to June 30 by Magellan Strategies that indicated support for a funding boost for fire services as well as infrastructure improvements for the city.

At least 61% of respondents to the survey said they would vote for a ballot measure that called for increasing the existing city sales and use tax by 0.35% with 0.10% to expire on Jan. 1, 2051.

The resulting revenue would recruit and retain a minimum of 30 firefighters, emergency medical and support personnel to reduce response time and maintain emergency services at new stations in north and central Westminster, according to the suggested ballot measure.

Besides new equipment and facilities to better protect the public and first responders, the proposed ballot issue would also “…maintain, improve, and prioritize neighborhood streets and city roadways.”

“At 60% is a real good place to start,” said Ryan Winger of Magellan Strategies.

After respondents read how the city has been restructured and held flat or reduced its budget, 68% said they would vote for the tax increase, Winger said.

Potential voters are also much more likely to approve a tax increase if the funding will help prevent and protect against wildland fires, he said.

Trouble spots

The survey also included some roadblocks to pursuing a tax increase. Some respondents believe the city already has the funding to expand services.

“That’s a little bit of a cause of a concern,” Winger said. “Over 50% believe the city already has the money. Ideally, this number should be under 50%”

Councilors said they did not want a repeat of the  2024 vote, in which a similar measure lost by a 53%-47% margin. The city, they said, needs to engage in a comprehensive education campaign to get voters to support the planned 2025 measure.

“It’s an off-year election, that makes it even tougher,” said Councilor Obi Ezeadi. “A lot of people care about their own situation…if someone believes everything is fine, why would they want to increase their costs?”

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An open house is scheduled for July 10 to learn about a potential noise reduction strategy for Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport.

The open house will be at Omni Interlocken Hotel Centennial Ballroom, 500 Interlocken Boulevard in Broomfield, from 6 -7:30 p.m. The meeting will be an informational “come and go at your leisure” open house to learn about the airport’s Part 150 Study, according to airport officials.

Information boards will be available for review, and airport sponsor and consulting staff will be there to answer questions and gather input, an informational brochure states.

The Part 150 Airport Noise Study will develop modeled noise contours, a Noise Exposure Map and identify potentially incompatible land uses, according to Jefferson County, which owns and operates the airport.  

According to Jefferson County, the study may also lead to the development of a Noise Compatibility Program. That requires an airport to not only identify and evaluate noise issues but also present to the FAA potential and actionable measures for noise abatement and/or mitigation, according to the Jefferson County website. There is also the opportunity for more community involvement through public open houses.

The FAA considers participation from adjacent jurisdictions to be an important part of a Part 150 study, according to the county.      

The study, which began in the fall of 2024, is partially funded by an FAA Airport Improvement Program grant.  The study is expected to take approximately two years to complete.  Airport stakeholders should monitor the airport’s website for engagement opportunities in the first quarter of 2025, say officials.

Critics of the airport – including Westminster residents – have claimed persistent airport operations are damaging the local environment through noise and leaded fuel usage. The Westminster City Council has asked the Jefferson County Commissioners to put more restrictions on planes taking off and landing at the airport.

Between 1990 and 2023, airport operations increased at RMMA by about 98 % with the population of the surrounding communities increasing by around 72%.

Airport supporters point out that the facility contributes about 5,000 jobs and $1.4 billion in total economic impacts to the surrounding area.

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