EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KKTV) – The Grand Jury has concluded that two El Paso County deputies involved in an officer-involved shooting in July have not committed any criminal offense, according to the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO) said deputies responded to Tranters Creek Way in Security-Widefield for a disturbance involving a firearm on July 18.
Upon arrival, deputies said a gun was found in the driveway. They contacted a man and a woman at the home during their investigation. A man inside the home was “physically aggressive” toward deputies as they tried to detain him, EPSO said.
According to EPSO, the man took one of the deputies’ tasers and deployed it, and that is when they said at least two deputies fired at least one round each at the man.
Despite medical care, the suspect, Brian Prine, died on scene.
Following the completion of both the Deadly Force Investigation Team and District Attorney’s Office’s investigations into the shooting, it was referred to the 4th Judicial District Grand Jury for further investigation.
“As we heard witness testimony, evidence, and expert opinions, and worked through deliberation, the Jury gained a better understanding of the decisions made by the deputies involved, and the actions they carried out on scene,” a release from the 4th Judicial District Grand Jury reads.
A release from the Grand Jury read that it was initially concerned with what appeared to be a “lack of communication” between the deputies and the manner in which their response was executed.
The Grand Jury said Prine “exhibited active, aggressive resistance, lunging forward into another officer.” They said Prine struck a deputy with their taser, then attempted to grab a firearm from another deputy’s duty belt.
“Mr. Prine gained possession of the taser while deputies were attempting to restrain him,” the Grand Jury said. “Koehlinger, who was at the base of the driveway speaking with Mr. Prine’s wife, then heard a scuffle, which caused him to advance towards the porch. He heard the pop, saw that Mr. Prine had possession of an active taser, and responded to the threat.”
“The Grand Jury issued a No True Bill for both El Paso County Sheriff’s Deputy Brenden Koehlinger and El Paso County Sheriff’s Deputy Juanito Cuellar, meaning the Grand Jury did not find probable cause to support that either deputy committed any criminal offense,” the Grand Jury said.
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