Arvada 4/4/13
April 4, 2013
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourarvadanews.com
Jefferson County, Colorado • Volume 8, Issue 45
Gun lobbyist’s actions eyed in ethics probe Lawmaker admits using epithet in confrontation By Vic Vela
vvela@ourcoloradonews.com A gun lobbyist is at the center of an ethics probe into whether he threatened an Evergreen lawmaker with political reprisal over her votes on recent gun bills. Republican Rep. Cheri Gerou filed an ethics complaint against Rocky Mountain Gun Owners political director Joe Neville, after the two shared a sharp exchange in the House lobby in February. Gerou hurled an expletive toward Neville during the incident, before he was escorted out of the Capitol. The interaction came on
a day when emotions ran high inside the building, where lawmakers were taking up votes on controversial pieces of gun-control legislation. Both Gerou and Neville testified about the incident before an ethics committee on March 27. The testimony is part of a process that ultimately will determine whether Neville violated a legislative rule that prohibits lobbyists from using political threats or deceit to influence lawmakers. Gerou testified that on Feb. 15, she received several emails from constituents who had heard she was going to vote for the Democratic-sponsored gun-control bills that were being debated that day — even though Gerou said she had no intention of doing so. Gerou voted no on those bills. Gerou found out later that day that
Rocky Mountain Gun Owners was behind the misinformation. The group had been sending out mailings to voters in Gerou’s district, which Neville has said was an effort meant to encourage voters to call Gerou and ask where she stood on the bills. “I have to tell you I was very angry,” Gerou testified. “I feel a personal responsibility to my constituents and I felt that not only that they were being told a lie, they were without reason feeling scared.” Gerou testified that she used an epithet when she and Neville spoke in the House lobby. “He stared at me briefly and he said: ‘You just earned yourself another round of mailers against you in your district, for a primary,” Gerou testified. Neville admitted saying something to that effect, but he told the committee that
his reaction was made out of anger, and that the comment was not meant to influence her votes. When committee member Sen. Mark Scheffel, R-Parker, asked Neville,“Why didn’t you just walk away?” the lobbyist replied, “Easier said than done, I guess.” “My job is to stand my ground, too,” Neville said. “I don’t apologize for standing up for the Second Amendment. That’s what I’m paid to do.” Neville further stated that he does not believe his actions rise to the level of an ethics probe. Testimony was scheduled to continue this week. The committee will forward the information to an executive committee, which can take any number of actions against Neville, ranging from doing nothing at all, to suspending his lobbying privileges.
Man faces rape, murder counts Indictment states Watson confessed to crimes By Glenn Wallace
gwallace@ourcoloradonews.com
Arvada Police K-9 Unit Officer Ron Avila and his German shepherd partner Matzo demonstrate a technique Arvada officers recently learned in a training program. If a dog tries to attack an officer while on a call, the officers were taught to use a coat, their baton or another object to block themselves and let the dog bite that instead of the officer. Photos by Sara Van Cleve
Police receive training to deal with dogs All officers required to learn about dogs’ body language, ways to react By Sara Van Cleve
svancleve@ourcoloradonews. com Arvada Police Department is taking a proactive step in protecting their officers and residents’ pets. The Arvada Police K-9 Unit and Animal Management partnered to train all officers how to deal with dogs to avoid incidents like those in Commerce City and Adams County where pet dogs were shot and killed by officers. “We’re trying to minimize officer injury and injury to people’s pets through the education of how a dog acts and reacts,” Avila said. The training was originally discussed two years ago, but really developed over the last few months due to recent events in other jurisdictions, said Arvada
Matzo, a 7-year-old K-9 Unit German shepherd, and his officer Ron Avila helped train all of Arvada Police’s officers on techniques for how to handle dogs they encounter on calls, from how to read body language to what to do if a dog attacks. K-9 Unit Officer Ron Avila. The K-9 Unit and Animal Management taught officers how to read a dog’s body language, how to adjust their body language and ways to stop a dog if it begins to attack without having to use a gun. “If they can read the body language of dogs, they can
know when things are heading south or the dog is under too much pressure and when to back off instead of continuing to pressure the dog,” Avila said. Officers also received training on what to do if a dog tries to attack them or latches on to them. “There are different things
they can do,” he said. “A spark test on their Tasers might be enough or they can use a coat or ASP [baton] if a dog tries to bite them so it bites the coat or ASP instead.” Using a gun on a dog is the absolute last resort, just as it is for people, Avila said. Officers also worked with police K-9 dogs, including Avila’s German shepherd Matzo, to become more comfortable around dogs and to learn how to release a dog that is latched onto them. While Animal Management, not typical patrol officers, deal with animals that could be considered vicious, most of the calls Arvada Police go on are to homes, and most homes have a dog, Avila said. “It’s all about confidence around dogs,” he said. The training was required for all police officers and was well received by everyone from officers to command, Avila said. Arvada Police is one of the first departments in the metro area to require this type of training for all officers.
Wearing a gray jail jumpsuit, Warren Dale Watson kept his head and eyes down during his Jefferson County court appearance last week. It was Watson’s first court appearance, following an 18-count grand jury indictment against him for the rape and murder of Lakewood attorney Claudia Miller, 66, on March 5. Watson was arrested on March 8 in Boise, Idaho, and has been held in custody on a no-bond hold. His case now moves toward felony trial. According to the grand jury indictment, Watson, a felony parolee, was scheduled to meet at Miller’s office in the 400 block of Union Boulevard to discuss legal matters. Later that evening, Watson cleaning staff discovered Miller’s partially clothed body. An autopsy showed evidence that Miller had been beaten, tied up and sexually assaulted. Cause of death was determined to be strangulation. The day of the crime, a man identified as Watson was seen on security footage at several locations, using Miller’s stolen credit cards. Miller flew to Boise, Idaho, two days later, in violation of his parole for a prior crime. Lakewood officers traveled to Boise to help apprehend Watson and to interview him regarding the Miller case. From the indictment: “He admitted to tying her up, going through her purse and taking her money and her credit cards. He admitted that he strangled her.” The felony counts against Watson include first-degree murder, sexual assault, aggravated robbery, motor theft and identity theft.
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