WARNING: Some details in this article may be disturbing to some readers.
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — In a recent ruling by an El Paso County judge, the suspect involved in a tragic hit-and-run incident resulting in the death of a Pueblo parole officer will proceed to trial.
It was decided on Monday, Jan. 8, that Justin Kula will face trial on multiple counts, including charges of Reckless Manslaughter and Vehicular Homicide, concerning the hit-and-run incident that claimed the life of Officer Christine Guerin Sandoval in late September 2023.
During Monday’s lengthy preliminary hearing, lasting over two hours, prosecutors presented three Colorado Springs Police Department detectives as witnesses, where they spent most of their time going over pictures and surveillance footage from the scene on Sept. 28, outside the Veterans Convenience Store in Colorado Springs.
Detective Ashton Gardner, the officer who reviewed the surveillance footage, said the incident unfolded in a matter of seconds. Gardner described how Kula reversed his car with open doors, causing Officer Sandoval and another responding officer to be knocked to the ground.
The detective recounted seeing the vehicle drive over what he presumed to be Sandoval, like a “speed bump.” That’s when detectives presume Sandoval became “lodged underneath the vehicle,” and was dragged many feet away to the entrance of the convenience store parking lot.
The autopsy report, reviewed by Detective Nicole Black, confirmed that Sandoval’s cause of death resulted from injuries sustained in the incident.
Kula’s defense attempted to argue that his nature was not reckless but instead self-defense, since responding officers did not announce themselves as law enforcement upon their arrival at the scene, but this argument was dismissed by the judge.
Detectives recounted that the day Officer Sandoval and two others encountered Kula, they were primarily conducting a welfare check, in response to a call from Kula’s ex-wife, who had expressed concerns about his potential drug overdose.
The detectives confirmed that Kula had an active warrant for his arrest at the time of the incident and was determined to be AWOL due to his lack of communication with his parole officer for three weeks.
According to Gardner, witnesses who encountered Kula after he left the scene said Kula was trying to park at their house. They described his agitated demeanor, and that Kula was sweating as if he had just been running when he told them he was trying to “lay low.” Other witnesses reported him in a frantic state, changing clothes and running around his vehicle.
Gardner, who later interviewed Kula after he was arrested, said he expressed worry about a possible warrant he was not completely sure was active. Gardner noted his impaired state, marked by confusion, and lethargy, saying he often laid his head on the table throughout their conversation. During the interview Kula confirmed substance influence, citing a mix of meth and heroin.
Gardner said Kula repeatedly inquired about the prior incident at a convenience store and said he thought he was being robbed. At that point, Kula was unaware of Officer Sandoval’s demise and neglected to mention any involvement in striking someone with his vehicle.
To make a point about his habitual criminal activity, prosecutors also highlighted a prior incident in 2020 where Kula was charged with assaulting a Fountain Police officer where he also drove away from the scene in that incident as well.
Kula faces an array of charges, including Reckless Manslaughter, Vehicular Homicide, Third-Degree Assault, Leaving the Scene of an Accident, and three sentence enhancers as a habitual criminal. His next hearing is set for February 23.
