HATE CRIMES NEARLY DOUBLE IN COLORADO
Hate crimes in Colorado nearly doubled in 2018 compared with the number of cases the previous year.
Colorado Public Radio reports the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management recorded 185 hate crime cases in 2018, compared with 96 in 2017.
The agency’s new report says hate crimes are on the rise after declining from 2016 to 2017.
The most common offense was intimidation, followed by assault and vandalism.
There were 112 victims of racial bias crime and 32 victims of sexual orientation and gender identity bias.
The agency says there were 26 victims of religious bias as anti-Semitic crimes continue to rise.
Tarantula migration expected to crawl through Colo.
L A JUNT A
» Wildlife officials say thousands of tarantulas are expected to start their annual migration through the state soon. The migration is expected to begin this month and extend through early October.
Officials say the Oklahoma brown tarantulas migrate through La Junta.
Scientists say the majority of the spiders are 10year-old males looking to mate with females hidden in Colorado’s grasslands.
Officials say the peak time to view the migration is mid-September near Comanche National Grassland south of La Junta off U.S. 109.
Officials say tarantulas are mostly harmless to humans but have bites that can cause injury or allergic reaction and hairs that can be irritating to the eyes, mouth and nose.
Officers cleared in fatal shooting.
Two Aurora officers involved in a January shooting, killing an armed man who wore body armor as he shot and killed his father-in-law, were justified in their actions and no criminal charges against them are warranted, according to a district attorney’s review.
Officers Zachary Ploch and David Kaufman have been cleared in the Jan. 15 shooting death of 42-yearold Esmond Trimble inside Trimble’s home, 1473 S. Kenton St., according to a decision letter, dated Monday, from the Arapahoe County district attorney’s office to Aurora Police Chief Nicholas Metz.
Also killed in the incident was 58-year-old Dean Craig Heerdt, identified as Trimble’s father-in-law.
Based on multiple factors, including Trimble’s refusal to disarm, his pointing of weapons at the officers, his use of body armor, the safety of officers and concerns about Heerdt, the officers’ decision to fire “was justified under the laws related to use of force in self-defense and defense of others,” the decision letter said.
Juvenile arrested in Denver as suspect in July shooting death of 17year-old boy.
A juvenile has been arrested by Denver police on suspicion of first-degree murder.
The juvenile, who was not identified because of his age, was arrested Tuesday in connection with a July 23 death of another juvenile, police said in a news release. The shooting happened in northwest Denver.
The medical examiner’s office has identified the victim as 17-year-old Damian Ray Uriona. He died of a gunshot wound. Uriona’s manner of death has been ruled a homicide.