Court appearance for sole shooting suspect
The accused shows little emotion at advisement hearing
The lone suspect in the fatal shooting of Adams County sheriff’s Deputy Heath Gumm made his first court appearance Friday, while detectives continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting and a fight that preceded it.
Adams County Sheriff Michael McIntosh said at a news conference that no funeral date has yet been set for Gumm, who was shot to death Wednesday night in the 8700 block of Dawson Street in Thornton as he and other deputies chased a suspect. The deputies were responding to a disturbance call involving at least three men.
McIntosh read a letter from Gumm’s family that thanked the public for their support and donations and thanked his fellow law enforcement officers who served with Gumm.
“Our hearts are warmed by the display of compassion from complete strangers who stood and continue to stand alongside our family,” the letter said. “As we passed behind the tinted windows of a brightly lit motorcade, your heartfelt wishes for our husband, son and brother have given his life a beautiful purpose.”
Two other suspects sought in connection with the call that brought Adams County sheriff’s deputies to the scene where the shooting occurred were contacted and interviewed Thursday. They were not taken into custody, McIntosh said. That case remains under investigation.
“We are not actively looking for any other suspects” in Gumm’s death, he told reporters.
The sheriff said detectives are working 12 to 14 hours a day during the investigation.
“We are burning the candle at both ends, and we need some time to make sure that we are doing our jobs extremely well and extremely safely,” McIntosh said.
McIntosh noted that three retired sheriff’s employees have passed away during the past few days, and there are several funerals that he and others will be attending.
“The Adams County Sheriff’s Office is grieving,” McIntosh said. “We are hurting. We are
doing our investigation. We are running hard.”
Dreion Martise Dearing, 22, is being held in the Adams County Jail, booked on three first-degree murder charges, including murder of a peace officer after deliberation. He also was booked on a burglary charge.
Dearing appeared Friday before Judge Patrick Murphy at the Adams County Judicial Center for his advisement hearing. He was wearing a blue jail uniform and showed little emotion. Several of his family mem- bers attended the court hearing.
He is next due in court at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
Dearing could face the death penalty if convicted, or life in prison without the possibility of parole.
“Obviously that decision is not made lightly, and it’s a decision made by me,” District Attorney Dave Young said. “I certainly want to look at everything involved in this case.”
Dearing’s prior criminal history includes a conviction in 2014 for robbery in Denver, for which he was sentenced to four years in the Colorado Department of Corrections. He received credit for 311 days served, according to court records. In 2013, he was arrested on charges of second-degree assault and robbery, but those were dismissed by the Denver district attorney.
Detectives believe that Dearing was among a group who went to a home Wednesday night, sparking a fight, the sheriff said. He added that investigators are still trying to determine whether the initial incident was a burglary or an assault. Gumm was shot while chasing the suspect after the confrontation.
Gumm is the second metro sheriff’s deputy to be killed in the line of duty in less than a month. Douglas County Deputy Zackari Parrish was shot to death by a suspect on Dec. 31.