WARNING: Some details in this article may be disturbing to some readers.

(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Opening statements for the trial of Justin Kula, the suspect accused of hitting and killing Pueblo Parole Officer Christine Guerin Sandoval in Sept. 2023 took place at the El Paso County Courthouse on Tuesday morning, Feb. 11.

Kula is facing multiple charges including; Reckless Manslaughter, Vehicular Homicide, Third-Degree Assault, and Leaving the Scene of an Accident. In March 2024, Kula entered a not guilty plea after a judge ruled there was enough evidence for the case to go to trial, which officially got underway on Monday, Jan. 10.

During opening statements, the prosecution said that Officer Sandoval and another parole officer received multiple calls from Kula’s ex-wife on the day of the incident, expressing concern for Kula’s medical condition and fears that he was overdosing from drugs. In an attempt to conduct a welfare check, Sandoval and the other officer searched for Kula and eventually found him sitting in his car at a strip mall on North Spruce Street, near West Bijou Street.

Courtesy: Colorado Springs Police Department

After showing the jury video of the incident, the prosecution said that the officers got out of the vehicle and made contact with the defendant, before he drove away, hitting the officers and ultimately running over Sandoval. Sandoval never got back up again, said the prosecution.

The prosecution stated that the testimony of multiple witnesses, plus video surveillance will show how Kula drove over a curb and down the street to escape the scene without regard to having hit two people. According to the prosecution, while charges of assault, manslaughter, and vehicular homicide have considerations of mental state and intent, there is no requirement for intent on the charge of failure to fulfill duties after involvement in a vehicular incident.

The defense opened by saying that no one disputes the tragedy of the situation, but just because someone dies, it doesn’t constitute a crime. According to the defense, the evidence will show that the incident, which happened in a matter of seconds, was chaotic and confusing, and that the defendant thought he was being robbed at gunpoint.

The defense said that the officers approached Kula’s vehicle from behind, wearing no markings on their parole vests or vehicles indicating that they were law enforcement, and swarmed the car with guns drawn. According to the defense, the officers opened the vehicle doors, pointed guns at Kula, and yelled for him to get out of the car without announcing that they were parole officers. The time between the doors being opened and the car taking off was two seconds.

The defense stated that the defendant was already in a paranoid state of mind, being intoxicated and thinking that his ex-wife had been trying to set him up. In the sudden chaos, he panicked and was not able to determine that it was law enforcement, and in his large SUV, with a limited line of sight, he could not tell that he had hit or run over anyone.

The defense said that the officers did not follow protocol that would have protected both them and Kula in the situation. Additionally, the officers didn’t call in paramedics to assist with a person they thought was overdosing from drugs.

After opening statements concluded on Tuesday morning, witnesses began taking the stand. The trial is set to take two weeks.