Adams County Sheriff’s Deputy Arrested, Again, for Alleged Domestic Violence

Deputy Shane Sloan was arrested in Firestone for charges of assault and child abuse, mirroring charges from 2010 and 2020.

A second central Colorado sheriff’s deputy has been arrested for domestic violence-related charges, within days of Boulder County Deputy Peter Markusen. Both have had domestic violence-related arrests in the past.

Shane Sloan, an Adams County Sheriff’s Office deputy, was arrested Jan. 30 for one count of assault in the third degree through knowingly or recklessly causing injury, and one count of child abuse through negligence without injury.

According to his arrest affidavit, Firestone Police responded to a 4:33 a.m. call regarding an assault at Sloan’s home. There, his wife told officers he hit her with an open hand multiple times in the face, pulled her hair, and kicked her while she was on the ground after she confronted him about cheating on her.

The responding officer says in the affidavit that she specified that Sloan hits her with an open hand because he knows it does “less damage and doesn't show marks,” and that similar incidents have happened in the past, but she hasn’t reported them.

An unnamed individual in the house video-recorded Sloan hitting his wife with an open hand, according to the affidavit, with the wife telling Sloan she would call the police and Sloan responding to “do it because she would be the one who would be arrested,” before hitting her again. By midmorning, officers had contacted Sloan and his lawyer to inform them there were charges, and by evening, Sloan turned himself in to FPD while declining to speak with officers regarding the charges.

A permanent protection order was granted in this case, with Sloan also required to relinquish all firearms. According to FSPD, the police report for the alleged crimes would be heavily to almost completely redacted due to Colorado’s Riley’s Law — C.R.S. 24-72-304(4.5) — which requires that all names and any identifying information of an underage victim or witness be redacted from records released to the public. The case is ongoing, and Sloan’s next court date is set for Feb. 20.

This was Sloan’s second time sent to Weld County jail within only a few months, as on Nov. 25, Sloan refused to open his front door to FPD officers who responded to a call of a disturbance at the home, eventually leading to his arrest and being charged with obstructing a peace officer.

According to the arrest affidavit, the “sound of a woman crying and yelling” could be heard from inside, and Sloan refused to open the door even as officers said they would force it open if he did not.

Sloan told officers through the door that “nothing happened inside and everything was ok,” according to the affidavit, before a final warning from officers and they began to ram the door.

Sloan then opened it, was arrested by FPD for obstruction, and officers “determined that only a verbal argument” happened between Sloan and his wife, according to the affidavit.

This case also granted a protection order, and is ongoing with Sloan’s next court date set for Feb. 13.

The last time Sloan was charged with child abuse through negligence without injury was in 2020, later the same year that he was initially hired by Adams County Sheriff’s Office. According to Colorado Bureau of Investigation arrest records, he was also charged with providing or permitting a juvenile to possess a handgun, and was acquitted of both charges after a jury trial. 

The last time Sloan was charged with domestic violence-related assault was in December of 2010.

Arrested by Firestone Police Department at the same address, Sloan’s now wife said in the arrest affidavit that he punched her in the face after he shoved her to the ground. She told officers that there had been past physical altercations with Sloan, but “not to the extremes of today's incident.”

Both of Sloan’s charges — assault in the third degree through knowingly or recklessly causing injury, and harassment through striking, shoving, or kicking — were dismissed by the District Attorney four months later, which also vacated the protection order granted at the start of the case.

According to Adams County records, Sloan was “released” as a deputy with Adams County Sheriff’s Office by Sheriff Gene Claps on Feb. 2.