Donovan Pecorella

Week of March 9, 2026: Patrick Martinez resigned while under investigation from the same sheriff’s office he is campaigning to lead

Andrew Fraieli

Andrew Fraieli

— 7 min read
Week of March 9, 2026: Patrick Martinez resigned while under investigation from the same sheriff’s office he is campaigning to lead

Correction: In the previous newsletter, we stated that Erin Parton had been terminated for cause from Boulder Police Department. As of March 9, POST has removed that "terminated for cause" action uploaded to their database on March 7. According to Boulder Police Department, Parton was not terminated.

Welcome to my weekly sum-up. Every Monday I send out a short summary of the last week’s officers that have landed on Colorado’s Peace Officer Standards and Training public database of law enforcement misconduct and actions. They are not necessarily all actions that have happened in the last week, but those that have been added, and consist of any other context I could find.

The Peace Officer Standards and Training Board, or POST, had their quarterly meeting on March 12, so a few decertifications were rubber-stamped. Besides that, a few record requests came in quick enough to give context to a few terminations and resignations.

Donovan Pecorella (CO-1554-0821)

  • Decertified on March 12, 2026 for untruthfulness while an officer with Greeley Police Department
  • According to the POST Board’s March 12 meeting agenda, Pecorella “knowingly made an untruthful statement concerning a material fact OR knowingly omitted a material fact on an official criminal justice record and while testifying under oath on May 29, 2023, and March 8, 2024.”
  • Terminated for cause on Jan. 16, 2025
  • Issued a credibility report on March 14, 2025
  • Defendant while deputy with Weld County Sheriff’s Office in a now dismissed civil case alleging First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth, and Fourteenth amendment violations
  • Former agencies include Weld County Sheriff’s Office

Sources:

Image courtesy of Colorado Springs Police Department. Photo illustration by Andrew Fraieli

Thomas Polistina (CO-6657-5000)

  • Decertified on March 12, 2026 for untruthfulness while an officer at Colorado Springs Police Department
  • Issued two separate credibility reports by CSPD on Oct. 16, 2024 and Sept. 18, 2025
  • According to the POST Board’s March 12 meeting agenda, Polistina “knowingly made an untruthful statement concerning a material fact OR knowingly omitted a material fact during an internal affairs investigation and during an administrative investigation/disciplinary process…”
  • According to various news outlets, on July 16, 2024 Polistina had an additional POST action for “being subject of a criminal investigation” regarding "unlawful sexual conduct by a peace officer." There appears to be no courts records for charges related to this, suggesting the case was dismissed and sealed.
  • Resigned while under investigation from CSPD on August 28, 2025

Sources:

Shanon Lautenschlager (CO-811-123)

  • Decertified on March 12, 2026 for a misdemeanor conviction from Sept. 26, 2025
  • Arrested on July 18, 2023 on multiple charges dating from November 2020
    • One count of sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust, age 15-18 — a felony. Pled guilty, received a deferred sentence.
    • One count of sexual assault on a child under 15 by one in a position of trust — a felony. Pled not guilty, charge dismissed by plea.
    • One charge of sexual contact without consent, a misdemeanor. Pled guilty, found guilty, sentenced to four years probation.
  • Not employed by an agency at time of offense
  • No previous actions

Sources

    • POST Database
    • Court documents
Image courtesy of Larimer County Sheriff's Office. Photo illustration by Andrew Fraieli

Andrew Cirone (CO-6446-6058)

  • Previously reported on here
  • Credibility report issues March 12, 2026

Sources:

    • POST Database
Image courtesy of Patrick Martinez's campaign website. Photo illustration by Andrew Fraieli

Patrick Martinez (CO-006-823)

  • Resigned while under investigation as a deputy with the Rio Grande County Sheriff's Office on Feb. 12, 2026
  • According to current Rio Grande County Sheriff Anne Robinson, the internal investigation is being handled by a different agency and is not yet complete
  • Martinez is currently running for Rio Grande Sheriff, and in his resignation letter he states he’s resigning due to not being able to attend the meetings or campaign as he’d like to with his night schedule
  • He references being denied a day off he requested so he may attend an event
  • Honorably discharged from the Marine Corps in 1989
  • Applied to Rio Grande County Sheriff’s Office in 2023
  • No previous actions
  • No known former agencies

Sources:

Talal Rana (CO-715-039)

  • Terminated for cause as a deputy with Adams County Sheriff's Office on March 2, 2026
  • Internal affairs investigation ongoing as of publishing
  • According to an appeal determination letter, Rana was terminated based on his “inability to meet the performance and job expectations as outlined in a Performance Improvement Plan and your required position.”
  • Previously a detention deputy for the Denver Sheriff’s Department from 2022 to through 2023 before applying to ACSO, and a detentions officer for the Dallas Police Department from 2021 to 2022
  • No previous actions

Sources

John Vela (CO-0140-9438)

  • Terminated for cause as a trooper with Colorado State Patrol on Feb. 26, 2026
  • Investigated by the 7th Judicial District Attorney’s Office for an attempted traffic stop in August 2024.
    • Around 2 a.m., Vela clocked a vehicle speeding at 71 mph in a 45 mph zone in a business district in Montrose. Vela caught up with the vehicle, put on his lights and sirens, continuing to follow the car at “a high rate of speed” for eights blocks and through multiple green lights until they reached a red light and the car struck a third vehicle driving across the intersection. Vela slowed before hitting anything. District Attorney Anna Cooling found Vela’s actions to be “reasonable, appropriate, and justified…” As such, “the prosecution cannot prove Trooper Vela operated his fully marked patrol vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner, without due regard for the safety of any persons and property,” so no criminal charges were filed.
  • No previous actions
  • No known former agencies

Sources:

Image courtesy of Sheridan Police Department Facebook page. Photo illustration by Andrew Fraieli

Steven Garcia (CO-129613)

  • Terminated for cause as a sergeant with Sheridan Police Department on Feb. 28, 2026, with a credibility report issued on March 4, 2026
  • Internal affairs investigation opened in November 2025 due to an internal complaint by an officer that Garcia was “attempting to ‘push him out’”
  • Garcia had two previous internal affairs investigations involving this same officer:
    • In March 2024, the officer “alleged inappropriate behavior” against Garcia, but there were no sustained findings. The report says it was “apparent conflict was occurring, so the department acted with the intent of continual improvement,” requiring Garcia to take “Emotional Intelligence and Leading with Intent” trainings and a “quick read” titled “Servant Leadership.” Garcia was required to give an oral presentation to Command staff
    • In January 2025, Garcia filed a complaint against this same officer for leaving trash in a patrol vehicle which was sustained.
  • Garcia was found to have violated multiple internal policies due to speaking disparagingly about the officer as a supervisor, giving false or misleading statements or omitting material information during the investigation by denying he did so, and “disgraceful conduct.”
  • Previously an officer with Aurora Police Department from 2006 to 2007, and 2010 to 2021, working at the University of Colorado Anschutz Police Department in between
  • No previous actions

Sources:

Image courtesy of Rifle Police Department Facebook page. Photo illustration by Andrew Fraieli

Alexx Rice (CO-365-685)

  • Terminated for cause as an officer from Rifle Police Department on March 4, 2026
  • He was terminated as a “result of continued lack of performance” in his job, according to a "separation" letter from the Rifle City Manager Patrick Waller
  • According to Rice’s termination letter, he was put on a performance improvement plan in March 2025 due to policy issues
  • Rifle Police Chief Debra Funston describes in the letter a December 2025 meeting on “performance issues and policy violations documented” by his supervisors. He was given a formal letter of reprimand and had two un-paid days off for discipline.
  • According to the letter, Rice spoke with his lieutenant in January regarding difficulties “staying on task with respect to report writing.” Rice was given an option of a report writing training platform later that month before the lieutenant transferred Rice to a different shift in the hope it would help.
  • His superiors from the transfer provided the chief with documents of numerous policy violations including:
    • 307.5(e) General Operations, Firearms, Safe Handling, inspection and storage.
      • In January, 2026 Rice left his locker containing his loaded handgun and rifle unlocked after multiple warnings
    • 703.5 Vehicle Maintenance, Washing of vehicles
      • Rice was reported to have left trash in his patrol vehicle when handing it over to another officer, as well as his department cell phone, flashlight, and clipboard — an issue similarly cited in his performance plan
    • 704.3.4 Security of unattended vehicles.
      • Also in January, 2026 Rice left his patrol car unlocked overnight in the department parking lot — another issue cited in his performance plan. His superior documented six times in October 2025 alone that Rice left his patrol car unlocked.
    • 1020.2 (j) Police uniform regulations, Wearing and condition of uniform and equipment
    • 324.6 Report Preparation
      • “...consistently failed to submit reports sufficiently detailed or free of errors.”
      • In 2024, Rice submitted 32 reports and four were returned for corrections
      • In 2025, Rice submitted 40 reports and 21 were returned for correction, with six being returned twice and one being returned four times before it was approved
      • In 2026, Rice submitted 11 reports, 10 of which were returned for corrections. In January he wrote the wrong court, or time, on four summonses.
  • No known former agencies
  • No previous actions

Sources

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