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Complaints about police response investigated
By Peggy LoweDenver Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer
A law enforcement officer is working for the governor's Columbine Review Commission, investigating allegations of poor police response to the shootings. "We have a person running down some leads for us," said former Colorado Supreme Court Justice William Erickson, the panel's chairman The unidentified investigator is on loan to the panel from an agency working with the commision, aid Dan Hopkins, Owens' spokesman. The 14-member review commission includes metro-area sheriff and police agencies, district attorneys' offices and the state attorney general's office. The investigator is probing claims made by some Columbine parents during testimony before the commission, Hopkins said. She will not duplicate the Jefferson County Sheriff's Offices' criminal investigation into the school shootings, he said. On Oct. 2, parents faulted law enforcement officers for not moving more aggressively to capture Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold in the April 21, 1999, attack. "We would have been better off if the police would have taken off their SWAT uniforms and allowed the horrified mothers in the crowd to volunteer to go in and rescue the children," Dale Todd, whose son, Evan, was injured at Columbine, told the panel. Shari Schnurr, the mother of wounded student Val Schnurr, testified that three officers declined to help her daughter because they did not believe she was seriously injured. Randy and Judy Brown, whose son, Brooks, attended Columbine, told commissioners that police failed to follow up on their report that Harris had a violent Web site. The commission has repeatedly locked horns with Jefferson County officials. County Attorney Frank Hutfless has advised Sheriff John Stone not to testify because of pending lawsuits. Stone did not return phone calls seeking comment Tuesday. Erickson would not comment on whether the investigator's work is in response to Stone's refusal to testify. "We're working on this very assiduously, and we have a duty to get information, and we're going to do our best to get the information," Erickson said. The investigator, who is working part time for the commission, is being paid by the agency she works for, Hopkins said. Contact Peggy Lowe at (303) 892-5482 or lowep@RockyMountainNews.com. October 25, 2000
A law enforcement officer is working for the governor's Columbine Review Commission, investigating allegations of poor police response to the shootings.
"We have a person running down some leads for us," said former Colorado Supreme Court Justice William Erickson, the panel's chairman
The unidentified investigator is on loan to the panel from an agency working with the commision, aid Dan Hopkins, Owens' spokesman. The 14-member review commission includes metro-area sheriff and police agencies, district attorneys' offices and the state attorney general's office.
The investigator is probing claims made by some Columbine parents during testimony before the commission, Hopkins said.
She will not duplicate the Jefferson County Sheriff's Offices' criminal investigation into the school shootings, he said.
On Oct. 2, parents faulted law enforcement officers for not moving more aggressively to capture Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold in the April 21, 1999, attack.
"We would have been better off if the police would have taken off their SWAT uniforms and allowed the horrified mothers in the crowd to volunteer to go in and rescue the children," Dale Todd, whose son, Evan, was injured at Columbine, told the panel.
Shari Schnurr, the mother of wounded student Val Schnurr, testified that three officers declined to help her daughter because they did not believe she was seriously injured.
Randy and Judy Brown, whose son, Brooks, attended Columbine, told commissioners that police failed to follow up on their report that Harris had a violent Web site.
The commission has repeatedly locked horns with Jefferson County officials. County Attorney Frank Hutfless has advised Sheriff John Stone not to testify because of pending lawsuits.
Stone did not return phone calls seeking comment Tuesday.
Erickson would not comment on whether the investigator's work is in response to Stone's refusal to testify.
"We're working on this very assiduously, and we have a duty to get information, and we're going to do our best to get the information," Erickson said.
The investigator, who is working part time for the commission, is being paid by the agency she works for, Hopkins said.
Contact Peggy Lowe at (303) 892-5482 or lowep@RockyMountainNews.com.
October 25, 2000
