Week of Sept. 28, 2026: Detention Deputy Terminated for Romantic Relationship with Inmate

Welcome to our weekly sum-up. Every Monday we 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. These actions from POST are not necessarily only those that have happened in the last week, but those that have been added, and consist of any other context we could find. Additionally are officers with otherwise obvious misconduct from around the same time.

This week, we have a batch of officers decertified after POST’s quarterly board meeting along with a follow-up on a deputy that began a romantic relationship with an inmate.

Rodrigo Basurto (CO-013-836)

• Issued a crediblity report as an officer with Sheridan Police Department on Sept. 28.
• Suspended without pay as an officer of Sheridan Police Department in early August.
• Previously terminated for cause from Denver Police Department for replying in a  group chat, regarding where to go for shooting practice, that they  “should go to the migrant hotel on 6th and Federal and shoot them there lol plenty of targets in there.”
• An investigation by Commander Joseph Connelly — who retired while under his own investigation from Sheridan PD less than a month after the one against Basurto concluded — found that Basurto accidentally fired his on-duty weapon through a table in the department’s “rollcall room” while “preparing to clean his weapon.” Basurto received a three-day suspension.
• Hired by Sheridan PD in May 2025

Sources:

• POST Database
• Sheridan Police Department

 Cruz Soto (CO-119334)

• Issued a credibility report as a deputy with Costilla County Sheriff’s Office on Sept. 21 for a crime or policy violation involving dishonesty.
• Indicted by the 12th Judicial District Attorney Anne Kelly on March 26, 2026 for two counts of failure to intervene, two counts of failure to report use of force and four counts of official misconduct.
• According to the indictment, Costilla County Undersheriff Soto and Costilla County Sheriff’s Sergeant Caleb Sanchez responded to a man holding an arrow to his neck, appearing suicidal, saying his wife and children were missing and his wife was leaving him. The two officers convinced the man to drop the arrow after two hours and come to the sheriff’s office. A witness said they saw the man walking away from the sheriff’s office without aggressive behavior and heard officers outside, including Sanchez and Costilla County Sheriff’s Deputy Roland Riley, issuing commands to not walk away from them. The officers fired multiple tasers at the man, the witness said no warnings were said before firing them, and the officers began yelling at him and handcuffing him.
• The indictment describes the scene from body-camera footage of Sanchez at that time, stating that officers told the man to go to the hospital, the man began to walk away, was visibly agitated as he saw multiple deputies surrounding him, angrily expressed “being lied to” by them about going to the hospital voluntarily, and as he continued to walk away Deputy Roland Riley told him to stop before firing his taser at the man. Sanchez fired as well, twice.
• The indictment continues that it appeared no use of force investigation had been conducted and the officers had also failed to inform the sheriff of the incident. Describing the reasons for Soto's charges, the indictment states “officers have a duty to report excessive use of force by other officers within 10 days. Undersheriff Soto did not report this to Sheriff Sanchez in a timely manner. Officers have a duty to intervene when witnessing other officers using excessive force. Undersheriff Soto failed to live up to this duty.”

Sources

• POST Database
• Court dockets
• 12th DA Grand Jury Indictment

Kevin Conner (CO-2831-0994)

• Decertified as a trooper with Colorado State Patrol on Sept. 25 because he 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 and disciplinary process on May 11, 2024.

Sources:

• POST Database

 Isaac Castillo (CO-6609-8233)

• Decertified as a deputy with Douglas County Sheriff's Office on Sept. 25 because he knowingly made an untruthful statement concerning a material fact or knowingly omitted a material fact during an internal affairs investigation on May 15
• Terminated for cause as a deputy with Douglas County Sheriff’s Office on July 9
• Issued a credibility report as a deputy with Douglas County SO on July 9
• Douglas County SO did not respond to a Sept. 28 request for relevant records before publishing

Sources:

• POST Database
• POST Board agenda
• Douglas County Sheriff’s Office

 John Vela (CO-0140-9438)

• Decertified as a trooper with Colorado State Patrol on Sept. 25 because he knowingly made an untruthful statement concerning a material fact OR knowingly omitted a material fact during an administrative investigation and disciplinary process on Jan. 8
• CSP told POST of this on July 1.
• Issued a credibility report as a trooper with the Colorado State Patrol on July 1
• Terminated for cause on Feb. 26
• 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.

Sources:

• POST Database
• 7th District Attorney Critical Incident Investigation Team investigation

David Green (CO-202-163)

• Decertified as an officer with Colorado Springs Police Department on Sept. 25 because he knowingly made an untruthful statement concerning a material fact or knowingly omitted a material fact during an internal affairs investigation on Dec. 31, 2025
• Resigned while under investigation as an officer with Colorado Springs Police Department on June 3
• According to an internal affairs investigation summary:
  • Green responded to a reported kidnapping where “the victim said the suspect threw gasoline on her and threatened to set her on fire.”
  • The summary states that Green then “conveyed” to a supervising officer that this “did not happen and the victim just wanted the suspect trespassed from the property.” The next day officers responded back to the same location and found probably cause felony charges.
  • Body camera footage showed that the victim did tell Green “the suspect had thrown gas on her,” and that they threatened to shoot her nephew earlier in the day and that a vehicle was stolen.
  • The investigation sustained internal policy violations against Green including work performance, employee conduct, investigative procedures and offense reports.
  • Green received a written reprimand.

Sources:

• POST Database
• Colorado Springs Police Department

 Ryan Patino (CO-717-027)

• Decertified as an officer with Frederick Police Department on Sept. 25 because he knowingly made an untruthful statement concerning a material fact or knowingly omitted a material fact during an internal affairs investigation on April 17, 2026.
• Terminated from Frederick Police Department on April 22.
• Formerly an officer with Boulder Police Department.
• Frederick did not respond to a request for relevant document from June.

Sources:

• POST Database
• Town of Frederick

Kara Wright (CO-202-620)

• Decertified as a corporal with Teller County Sheriff’s Office on Sept. 25 because she knowingly made an untruthful statement concerning a material fact or knowingly omitted a material fact during an administrative investigation and disciplinary process between Feb. 4 and March 20.
• Terminated for cause as a corporal with Teller County Sheriff's Office on March 23, 2026
• According to termination letter, violated policies of:
  • 320.4.2 SUPERVISOR RESPONSIBILITIES
  • 320.8.1 LAWS, RULES AND ORDERS
  • 320.8.2 ETHICS
  • 320.8.5 ATTENDANCE
  • 320.8.7 EFFICIENCY
  • 320.8.8 PERFORMANCE
  • 320.8.9 CONDUCT
• Letter elaborates that Wright gave direction as Corporal to not investigate two undocumented fights between inmates on Feb. 4 and 5, and that texts about the fights between her and another deputy contradicted an official memo submitted about the fights. It continues that she also “attended an event when you were scheduled to work without receiving permission and abandoned your post as a Corporal at the jail.”
• Originally applied for detentions deputy position in 2016
• Received Deputy of the Year award during Teller County SO hosted Law Enforcement Week in September 2023

 Sources

• POST Database
• Teller County

 Justin Rohlfs (CO-980-239)

• Decertified as an officer with Montrose Police Department on Sept. 25 because he knowingly made an untruthful statement concerning a material fact or knowingly omitted a material fact during an internal affairs investigation on March 18.
• Resigned in lieu of termination for cause as an officer with Montrose Police Department on April 9

Sources:

• POST Database

Philip Sullivan (CO-115-037)

• Decertified as an officer with Aurora Police Department on Sept. 25 due to a deferred sentence for domestic violence-related charges of third degree assault, a misdemeanor.
• Sullivan was originally arrested Nov. 26, 2025 for domestic violence-related charges of failure to leave premises with a weapon, obstructing a law enforcement animal, resisting arrest, harassment through striking, shoving or kicking, prohibited use of a weapon while drunk and two charges of child abuse. All were dismissed by plea besides assault and prohibited use of a weapon while drunk of which he also received a deferred sentence on Feb. 23.
• Adams County Court did not respond to a request for an arrest affidavit before publishing.
• Terminated by Aurora Police Department on Dec. 1, 2025

Sources:

• POST Database
• Court dockets

Shadrach Salazar (CO-5342-1439)

• Decertified on Sept. 25 due to a deferred sentence for domestic violence-related charges of third degree assault, a misdemeanor. Not employed as a law enforcement officer at the time.
• Salazar was arrested on Feb. 14 with sentencing on April 14.
• Montrose County Court stated they do not accept payment for records online or over the phone, and do not transmit records electronically. The only way to receive records is in person.

Sources:

• POST Database
• Court dockets

Lawrence Chaisson (CO-1652-3080)

• Decertified on Sept. 25 for not disclosing previous disqualifying criminal history when applying for certification.
• According to a POST meeting agenda, the POST board certified Chaisson on Nov. 24, 2020 and did not learn until Dec. 22, 2025 that he had a previous deferred sentence for first degree burglary through assault and menacing, a felony, from 2010.
• El Paso County Court stated there was no responsive records when requesting an arrest affidavit, a common response for a case that is sealed.
• Additionally, Chaisson was arrested in December 2025 for domestic violence-related charges of harassment and criminal tampering. No court dockets are available for this charge either, probably due to being sealed.
• Formerly at Glendale Police Department and Leadville Police Department.

Sources:

• POST Database
• LinkedIn
• El Paso County Court

 Brian Pettit (CO-128437)

• Decertified due to a March 12 deferred sentence for one count of harassment through striking, shoving or kicking — a misdemeanor. Pettit was not employed as a law enforcement officer at the time.
• Formerly a sergeant with Eaton Police Department
• The town of Eaton told Blue Surveillance they could not find Pettit’s resume or job application, though he was hired in 2021
• Formerly a Colorado State trooper
• While off-duty as a trooper in January 2017, Pettit was charged and found guilty of two counts of careless driving resulting in injury.
  • Pettit was driving his personal vehicle in Fort Collins with his 9 year old son in the car when he ran a stop sign and was hit by a car with the right of way. Himself, his son, and two others in the other car were injured and hospitalized afterwards. Eighth Judicial District’s Critical Incident Response Team investigated, even though Pettit was off-duty, and found that he was speeding and had drank alcohol at a birthday party earlier in the day. The District Attorney’s office did not press charges as it said it couldn’t prove Pettit was under the influence at the time.
  • Pettit received a sentence of three and half years probation, 180 hours of community services and a total $1,000 fine.

Sources:

• POST Database
• Court Records
• Denver7

Ryan Engle (CO-120040)

• Decertified for entering into an adult diversion agreement on July 24, 2025 for one count of harassment through striking, shoving or kicking. Engle was not employed as a law enforcement officer at the time.
  • According to Colorado’s Criminal Justice Program Unit, an adult diversion agreement “allows people to take responsibility for their actions outside of traditional prosecution, while targeting the needs or programs that led to justice system involvement and repairing harms to victims.” The program gives requirements such as participating in domestic violence offender treatments, anger management and other relevant programs, and for those who comply, charges are dismissed.
• La Plata County Court stated there were no responsive records when asked for the arrest affidavit, a common response from courts if a case has been sealed.
• Eaton Police Department told Blue Surveillance that “all Internal Affairs reports were destroyed per department policy on 5/22/24, 5 years after he left the department."

Sources:

• POST Database
• Eaton Police Department

 Dylan Miller (CO-4185-0804)

• Decertified as an officer of Loveland Police Department for being found guilty in a jury trial for one count of Deprivation of Rights Under the Color of Law Involving Sexual Misconduct, a felony.
• Aug. 3, while on duty with Loveland PD, Miller came in contact with the victim in North Lake Park, told a friend of the victim that was with her to leave and brought the victim to a more secluded area where he sexually assaulted her.

Sources:

• POST Database
• U.S. Department of Justice

Luke Zellman (CO-140164)

• Decertified for a July 2 sentencing after pleading guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a child - video, a felony.
• Originally arrested in September 2025 for charges including: one count of sexual exploitation of child by having “accessed with intent to view, viewed, possessed, or controlled…sexually exploitative” video of a child; four counts of the same but with the addition of the child being “subjected to the actual application of physical force or violence”;  two counts of sexual exploitation of a child by having “accessed with intent to view, viewed, possessed, or controlled…sexually exploitative” material of a child; and six counts of the same but with the addition of the child being “subjected to the actual application of physical force or violence…”
• Terminated for cause from Colorado State Patrol as a trooper on Nov. 24

Sources:

• POST Database
• Court records

Kimberlee Rios (CO-135668)

• Decertified for entering into an adult diversion agreement on Jan. 22, for one count of third degree assault. Rios was not employed as a law enforcement officer at the time.
  • According to Colorado’s Criminal Justice Program Unit, an adult diversion agreement “allows people to take responsibility for their actions outside of traditional prosecution, while targeting the needs or programs that led to justice system involvement and repairing harms to victims.” The program gives requirements such as participating in domestic violence offender treatments, anger management and other relevant programs, and for those who comply, charges are dismissed.
• Larimer County Court did not respond to a request for an arrest affidavit before publishing
• Colorado Bureau of Investigation documents show the offense date to be April 2025 with the case deferred and dismissed May 8.
• Charged with child abuse in 2012. Dismissed three months later.
• Rios was a deputy with Weld County Sheriff’s Office. The agency said they no longer have records on Rios as “it appears the records were purged after the retention period had passed.”

Sources:

• POST Database
• Colorado Bureau of Investigation

Callum Heskett (CO-018-016)

• Decertified due to a Feb. 23 deferred sentence for one count of attempt to influence a public servant and a plea of guilty for false reporting and fake emergency.
• Initially charged in August 2025 for two counts of attempt to influence a public servant, one count tampering with physical evidence, one count of false emergency/fake crime, one count of reckless endangerment, one county of obstructing government operations, one count of second degree official misconduct
• Heskett radioed for assistance while working as a Colorado Parks and Wildlife ranger claiming he had been attacked and stabbed. Jefferson County SO deputies responded to find the attacker, but eventually the investigation found he had stabbed himself in the abdomen.
• Jefferson County Courts only accepts payment in person.

Sources:

• POST Database
• Court records
• 1st District Attorney's Office

Lance Rankin (CO-134513)

• Decertified for May 1 sentencing after being found guilty at jury trial of two counts of domestic violence-related stalking - emotional distress, felonies.
• Additionally found guilty of violation of a protection order
• According to his arrest affidavit:
  • Rankin begin stalking his ex-girlfriend after they broke up in January 2023. He began by pretending to be someone else on Bumble, setting up a date with the ex-girlfriend and then asked why she was cheating on him when she arrived. In Feburary 2023 Rankin began to call the ex-girlfriend repeatedly, a well as email and text.
  • That September he began to repeatedly show up at her house unannounced. The ex-girlfriend told responding officers that she felt “scared and uneasy because she did not feel safe knowing he was coming to her house after she repeatedly told him not to.” Rankin additionally began to go to her parents house repeatedly. Between September 11 through 20 Rankin emailed the ex-girlfriend 333 emails.
  • Rankin was served a protection order, but texted the ex-girlfriend minutes later asking why she was doing this.
  • Longmont Police officers arrested Rankin on his way to the ex-girlfriends parents’ house.
  • Rankin was sentenced to eight years probation and received 150 days jail time, but received 150 days credit for time served.

Sources:

• POST Database
• Boulder County Court

Trisha Worley (CO-136920)

• Decertified as a Corporal with Garfield County Sheriff’s Office for Jan. 22 sentencing after pleading guilty of felony theft $20,000 to $100,000 and one count of first degree official misconduct. Worley had additional charges of felony theft $5,000 to $20,000 and embezzlement of public property, but they were dismissed by the District Attorney.
• Garfield County Court did not respond to a request for an arrest affidavit before publishing.
• According to an internal affairs investigation summary from October 2024, a complaint came to the agency from a local non-profit where Worley was the treasurer, accusing her of misusing funds.
• An additional internal affairs investigation from the same month found Worley to have not passed information up the chain of command about an employee slapping another employee in a public setting.
• Terminated for cause from Garfield County SO on Nov. 7, 2024.

Sources:

• POST Database
• Garfield County Sheriff’s Office
• Court records

Jesus Nieblas (CO-9409-3738)

• Decertified as a deputy with San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office for being sentenced on April 13, 2026 after pleading guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation of a child - video, and three counts of sexual exploitation of a child  - possession.
• Resigned/Retired prior to investigation with San Miguel County SO on July 9, 2025
• Colorado Bureau of Investigation announced on July 28, 2025 that Nieblas was on the run. He was apprehended in Mexico that September.

Sources:

• POST Database
• Court Records

Marcus Festi (CO-980-131)

• Decertified for being sentenced on Jan. 20 after pleading guilty to one count of attempted sexual assault on a child and one count of child abuse result in serious bodily injury. Festi was not employed as a law enforcement officer at the time.
• Almost 130 other charges varying between sexual exploitation of a child and sexual assault were dismissed in a plea deal.
• Resigned while under investigation from Las Animas County Sheriff’s Office on Nov. 7, 2022.
• Las Animas County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to a Sept. 28 request for records before publishing.

Sources:

• Post Database
• Court Records

Jasmine Sanders (CO-121-222)

• Decertified for entering a deferred sentence agreement on Dec. 1, 2025 for one count of attempt to influence a public servant.
• Resigned from Northglenn Police Department on July 31, 2025
• According to Sanders’ arrest affidavit:
  • A Fort Collins Police officer approached Sanders in an unmarked car with red, blue, white and yellow lights flashing. The affidavit describes Sanders wearing a yellow traffic vest and hat with a star emblem on it and wearing a police duty belt.
  • Sanders was working for Denver Metro Security and told the responding officer that she was employed with Northglenn Police Department and so was allowed to sue the red and blue lights. At that point, Sanders had already resigned from Northglenn PD, but told the officer the next day she was still employed with them and had contacted her boss about the lights who received permission from a Fort Collins Police sergeant for Sanders to use them.
  • The affidavit states that the responding officer checked and what Sanders said was untrue.
  • Sanders was arrested on two counts of impersonating a peace officer, two counts of attempting to influence a public servant and one count of use or possession of red and blue lights.
• Northglenn PD did not respond to a Sept. 28 request for relevant documents before publishing.

Sources:

• POST Database
• Larimer County Court
• City of Northglenn

Brandon Stevens (CO-3455-2718)

• Decertified as a trooper with Colorado State Patrol on Sept. 25 for a Nov. 4, 2025 deferred sentence of 18 months on domestic violence-related charges of second degree assault through strangulation.
• According to his arrest affidavit, Stevens choked the mother of his 3-year-old during an argument. The woman said she wasn’t able to breathe for approximately 30 seconds and that the argument was over Stevens’ porn addiction.
• He additionally received 48 hours of community service from his sentencing.

Sources:

• POST Database
• Alamosa County Court

Brandon Sanchez (CO-5600-1249)

• Decertified on Sept. 25 for not disclosing previous disqualifying criminal history when applying for certification.
• According to a POST meeting agenda, the POST board certified Sanchez on May 13, 2020 and did not learn until July 25, 2025 that he had a previous deferred sentence for second degree assault causing serious bodily injury in the heat of passion in 2006.
• Previously terminated for cause from Rio Grande County Sheriff’s Office on July 31, 2025
• Rio Grande County Sheriff’s Office told Blue Surveillance on Oct. 2 they had no responsive records when asked for internal affairs reports, disciplinary reports etc. with no reason for denial. They initially stated they would explain reasons for denial in 1-2 weeks, but were told that C.R.S. § 24-72-305(6) requires a reason for denial within 72 hours. As of publishing, the sheriff’s office had not responded.

Sources:

• POST Database

Officer updates:

Records that must come directly from a law enforcement agency are not required to be released within three business days, as it is with CORA requests to municipalities. Sometimes an officer is added to the database later in the week, and there isn’t time for records requests to come before the newsletter has to be sent out. Sometimes the records we get back are resumes or job applications without much more information, but sometimes they are documents that do lend more important details. Whenever any of these updates come in, we’ll put them here.

Cecilia Salazar (CO-712-014)

• Terminated for cause as an uncertified detention deputy with Boulder County Sheriff's Office on Aug. 5
• Updates: Internal affairs report
  • According to an internal affairs report, two commanders learned that an inmate said he “couldn’t get in trouble” for an incident on a work crew assignment because he “had a deputy on night shift that was watching out for him and they would get him out of trouble.”
  • Investigating deputies find a phone number from a burner phone communicating consistently with the inmate that they believe is Salazar.
  • Documented in their communications in the investigation are Salazar accepting a friend request from the inmate’s sister, multiple phone calls, the inmate telling Salazar that he “slapped a ‘tranny’ inmate” in the dorms and asked if she knew who he was talking about to which she said yes, Salazar asking the inmate why he was talking to “another girl like they talk to each other,” sexually explicit conversations about what they will do when he is out of jail, arguments over relationship issues, discussing his multiple children and 2-month-old and at one point both telling each other “I love you.”
  • Salazar denied that she was in a romantic relationship with the inmate, sent the messages on the burner phone and everything else she was questioned related to the communications.
  • Investigating deputies found there was enough evidence to sustain multiple  internal policy violations regarding romantic relationships with inmates, truthfulness and other restricted behavior towards inmates.