Colorado cop who was struck and killed by driver was still in his training period as a new officer
The day after the death of Golden Officer Evan Dunn, city employees and members of the police force cleared snow and put up tents above Dunn's patrol car. The vehicle is parked right outside of city hall in the middle of the Colorado city.
Dunn, 33, another officer and two citizens were struck by a car on Wednesday while the officers were conducting a crash investigation on the Golden Freeway. Dunn died at the scene.
Prior to his death, while Dunn was out on patrol he constantly had a partner with him. That's because he was still going through training.
To law enforcement, going out on patrol alone is a point of pride and accomplishment. Dunn was just weeks away from that goal.
His patrol car is now a community memorial outside the Golden Police Department. Underneath the snow-covered tents are flowers placed there by community members, the Colorado Department of Transportation, people that trained with Dunn at the police academy and others who knew him.
Dunn was "Destined to do great things"
In the afternoon community members brought boxes of coffee to the police department to try to boost the spirits of the grieving police department. They also shared cards with condolences for the life of an officer who was described as quiet but great.
Dunn worked in the Golden Police Department as a code enforcement officer for several years before he entered the police academy and graduated and became a member of the police force. Before that he was in the Army and was an aviation officer who flew Blackhawk helicopters.
Only a few hours after his death, his chief emotionally described a man who was "first and foremost, a man of faith, loyal, steady, quiet, and observant."
"Evan had a bright future and was destined to do great things, and we will never get over his loss," Chief Joe Harvey said.
Details surrounding officer's death becoming more clear
Less than a mile away on the Golden Freeway on Thursday, several investigators were still out at the scene of the crash that killed Dunn.
Arrest documents for the 43-year-old driver who is charged with being under the influence and causing the crash stated that the driver's car wasn't the one that directly hit Dunn. The documents state that Stephen Geer's car slammed into a pickup truck that was parked on the median of the highway in the crash scene area. That car then smashed into the car that was parked directly in front of it and that car hit Dunn and pinned him underneath it.
Investigating officers said Geer told police he tried to stop his car when he saw a patrol vehicle with its emergency lights on but he wasn't able to stop in time.
Officer Bethany Grusing was the other officer who was struck by the car. She and a woman who was involved in the original crash both suffered serious injuries. The woman's father was also outside of his vehicle and he was thrown over the median and suffered large cuts on his face and arm.
School of Mines shares "thoughts and prayers"
Geer is an educator at Colorado School of Mines. On the university's website he is described as a teaching assistant professor in engineering.
The university released a statement following the crash (on Thursday, before it became public knowledge that others besides the officers were hurt):
"Mines has been informed by the Golden Police Department that one of our employees was involved in the fatal accident in Golden on November 6.
The Mines community is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of a Golden police officer yesterday and injuries to a second officer while they were responding to a crash on Colorado 58.
The officers, their families, their colleagues in the Golden Police Department, and all others closely affected by this devastating event, are in our thoughts and prayers. We grieve with them today, we pray for the recovery of the injured officer, and we will look for ways to offer support during this incredibly difficult time."
