Arrest report: Jeffco K-9 shooting suspect gave false name, denied knowingly shooting dog
The arrest affidavit for a man accused of shooting and killing a law enforcement dog reveals he gave a false name when he was booked into jail and also claimed he was unaware he had shot the dog when his gun discharged the day of the shooting.
Suspect Eduardo Armando Romero, 29, is accused of shooting and killing a Jefferson County K-9 unit dog after law enforcement officers responded to him in a suspected stolen vehicle on the Colorado School of Mines campus in Golden.
CBS News Colorado was in the area of the response the morning of the shooting on Feb. 13. We learned Romero turned himself into law enforcement after he ran away from officers with School of Mines PD and Golden Police Department. He pointed a gun at the Golden officer during a chase, and he subsequently was accused of shooting and killing Jeffco Sheriff K-9 unit dog Graffit, who had been sent into a wooded area by his partner to apprehend Romero.
The Golden and School of Mines officers originally responded at midnight on Feb. 13 to a 2015 white Jeep Wrangler that Romero was inside near 18th Street and Elm Street on the university's campus. Investigators learned, not only was the Jeep stolen, but the license plate on the Jeep was stolen off a 2013 white Jeep Wrangler.
According to the arrest affidavit, Romero waived his rights and spoke to investigators after he was arrested. He told investigators he was "dazed and confused" when he was knowingly woken up by officers in the stolen Jeep. He said he had smoked a "blunt" before going to a bar in downtown Denver to watch "the game." He says he had three "house margs" while he was drinking at the bar, pointing to a water cup he had during the interview to confirm each drink was about 12 ounces. Romero blamed his confusion for eating a lot the night before and said he had a "food coma."
Romero told investigators he knowingly ran from police when he was confronted and said he decided to take his gun out of the holster while he was running because it was moving around. He says he heard one of the officers yell, "He's got a gun," and saw the officer dive to the ground as he kept running away.
When Romero went to hide in the brush of the wooded area, he told investigators he knew a K-9 was coming for him. He says he saw a German Shepherd and assumed it was a "cop dog." Romero says he was never bitten by the dog.
Romero denied pointing a gun at the dog. He says he heard the gun fire and assumed he had shot the ground. Romero says it got quiet afterward; he got scared and moved out of the brush to hide under a nearby SUV for 10 to 15 minutes before he turned himself in to investigators searching for him.
When investigators asked Romero about the Jeep, he claimed he bought the vehicle two weeks prior, but had not registered the vehicle and gave a name for the person who sold it to him. He told officers a sales receipt should have been inside the car, but none was found when searched. Romero also said a set of keys should have been in the Jeep, but it was unconfirmed in the affidavit if a pair was ever found.
When Romero was being booked into jail, he first identified himself with a passport that showed a false name, but was confirmed to belong to an actual person.
Prior to the day of the deadly shooting, Romero had active arrest warrants and a criminal history related to forgery, theft and DUI. These all stemmed from cases within the past few years or months. Romero also had a Colorado driving status as Revoked — Habitual Traffic Offender.
In this new case, Romero faces several new charges including:
- Felony Menacing, 18-3-206(1)(a), Felony 5
- Aggravated Animal Cruelty, 18-9-202(1.5)(b), Felony 6
- Prohibited Use of a Weapon, 18-12-106(1)(a), Misdemeanor 1
- Criminal Mischief, 18-4-501(b), Misdemeanor 2
- Criminal Mischief, 18-4-501(e), Felony 5
- Criminal Impersonation, 18-5-113(1)(b)(II), Misdemeanor 1
- Motor Vehicle Theft, 18-4-409(1)(h), Felony 5
- Motor Vehicle Theft, 18-4-409(2)(e), Felony 5
- Resisting Arrest, 18-8-103(1)(a), Misdemeanor 2
- Obstruction, 18-8-104(1)(b), Misdemeanor 2
- Eluding, 18-9-116.5(1), Felony 5
- Driving Under Restraint, 42-4-138, Traffic Misdemeanor 2
- Driving Under the Influence, 42-4-1301, Traffic Misdemeanor 2
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