Current:Home > BackOfficer who put woman in police car hit by train didn’t know it was on the tracks, defense says-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Officer who put woman in police car hit by train didn’t know it was on the tracks, defense says
View Date:2024-12-23 20:41:32
DENVER (AP) — A Colorado police officer accused of putting a handcuffed woman in a parked police car that was hit by a freight train did not know the car was parked on the tracks, the officer’s lawyer said in court Monday.
While evidence will show Officer Jordan Steinke stood on the railroad tracks during a night traffic stop on Sept. 16, 2022, she did not know that an officer she was assisting had parked his patrol car on the tracks, defense lawyer Mallory Revel said in opening statements in state court in Greeley. The woman inside, Yareni Rios-Gonzalez, suffered extensive injuries, including a traumatic brain injury.
The tracks were completely flush with the road, nothing to trip over, and there were no illuminated crossing signs or gates at the railroad crossing in the rural area, just two reflective signs on either side of the tracks, Revel said.
Other news Legal dispute facing Texan ‘Sassy Trucker’ in Dubai shows the limits of speech in UAE A Houston woman known online as the “Sassy Trucker” has been stuck in Dubai for weeks after an altercation at a car rental agency. Japan police arrest woman, parents in beheading of man at hotel in Hokkaido entertainment district Japanese police say they have arrested a woman and her parents in a beheading case in a popular night entertainment district in Japan’s northern city of Sapporo, where a headless man was found in a hotel room three weeks ago. Nashville school shooter’s writings reignite debate over releasing material written by mass killers In Tennessee, a request for police to release a school shooter’s private writings has morphed into a complex multiparty legal fight. Former Louisiana police officer accused of shooting unarmed Black man faces second criminal charge State prosecutors have added a charge of felony malfeasance in office against a former Louisiana police officer accused of fatally shooting an unarmed Black man earlier this year.Prosecutors will not be able to prove that she acted recklessly by leaving the woman in the patrol car, Revel said.
“You cannot disregard a risk of which you are unaware, no matter how obvious that risk may later seem,” said Revel, who stressed the case hinged on what Steinke knew in the moment.
In her opening statement, Deputy District Attorney Lacy Wells noted Steinke had walked across the train tracks several times during the incident, including when she escorted Rios-Gonzalez to the patrol car after arresting her. She did not lay out exactly what Steinke knew, but she said prosecutors would present evidence about her state of mind.
“The court will see and hear evidence from which the court can infer the defandent’s mental state at the time she elected to place Yareni Rios-Gonzalez in the Platteville patrol car parked on the railroad tracks, instead of her own patrol unit that was safely parked to the west of the railroad tracks,” Wells said.
Previously released police video shows officers searching Rios-Gonzalez’s truck as the train approaches with its horn is blaring. Other footage shows officers scrambling as the train approaches and slams into the vehicle.
Steinke, who was working for the Fort Lupton Police Department, was following her training, which taught her to focus on patting down the suspect, getting her in the nearest patrol car and then making sure there was no one else in Rios-Gonzalez’s vehicle who could be waiting to ambush police, Revel said.
The officer from the nearby Platteville Police Department who parked the patrol car on the tracks is also being prosecuted for misdemeanor counts of reckless endangerment. Steinke is being prosecuted for criminal attempt to commit manslaughter, a felony; reckless endangerment; and third-degree assault, both misdemeanors.
There is no jury for the trial, which is scheduled to end Friday. Testimony is being heard by Judge Timothy Kerns, who will issue a verdict.
Rios-Gonzalez is suing over her treatment, after being arrested when a driver reported she had pointed a gun at him during a road rage incident. The lawsuit accused three officers of acting recklessly and failing in their duty to take care of her while she was in their custody.
veryGood! (618)
Related
- Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight odds will shift the longer the heavyweight bout goes
- Ferry captain, 3 crewmates face homicide charges over death of tardy passenger pushed into sea in Greece
- As Climate-Fueled Weather Disasters Hit More U.S. Farms, the Costs of Insuring Agriculture Have Skyrocketed
- California lawmakers approve new tax for guns and ammunition to pay for school safety improvements
- 2025 Medicare Part B premium increase outpaces both Social Security COLA and inflation
- Oregon man sentenced to death for 1988 murder is free after conviction reversed: A lot of years for something I didn't do
- Influencer mom charged with felony child abuse after son's alleged escape
- Felony convictions for 4 ex-Navy officers vacated in Fat Leonard bribery scandal
- Shaboozey to headline halftime show of Lions-Bears game on Thanksgiving
- With 4 months left until the caucus, Ron DeSantis is betting big on Iowa
Ranking
- Georgia remains part of College Football Playoff bracket projection despite loss
- Why Matthew McConaughey Let Son Levi Join Social Media After Years of Discussing Pitfalls
- Some pendants, rings and gold pearls. Norwegian archaeologists say it’s the gold find of the century
- Prince Harry Returns to London for WellChild Awards Ahead of Queen Elizabeth II's Death Anniversary
- Early Week 11 fantasy football rankings: 30 risers and fallers
- UAW chief says time is running out for Ford, GM and Stellantis to avoid a strike
- Why No. 3 Alabama will need bullies or a magician for its showdown against No. 10 Texas
- New federal rule may help boost competition for railroad shipments at companies with few options
Recommendation
-
Ranked voting will decide a pivotal congressional race. How does that work?
-
California lawmakers vote to fast-track low-income housing on churches’ lands
-
Special counsel intends to bring indictment against Hunter Biden by month's end
-
Jets’ Aaron Rodgers shows support for unvaccinated tennis star Novak Djokovic
-
Wall Street makes wagers on the likely winners and losers in a second Trump term
-
US applications for unemployment benefits fall to lowest level in 7 months
-
Poland’s opposition accuses the government of allowing large numbers of migrants, corruption
-
Sam Taylor-Johnson Shares Glimpse Into Her Summer Romance With Husband Aaron Taylor-Johnson