Four men sentenced for injuring police officer

Four men have now been sentenced in Jefferson County for throwing a chlorine bomb at a police officer who was injured in the incident.

Three of the four defendants in the case, all 20 years old, were sentenced Thursday, with one man being sentenced earlier, according to a district attorney’s office news release.

The Arvada police officer was injured around midnight April 6, 2019, when he attempted to clear a road hazard at West 72nd Avenue and Beech Street, the release said.

The defendants had “built” the hazard, with street signs pulled out of the ground, to make a target for their plastic bottle chlorine bombs. When the officer began removing the hazard, the men yelled obscenities and hurled the bomb, the release said.

The bottle hit the ground near the officer, releasing a cloud of chlorine gas. The officer coughed, became nauseous and lost consciousness, falling to the ground. He was taken to a local hospital.

The officer suffered serious heart damage and spent months going to medical appointments and missing work. He continues to suffer the effects of the chlorine gas.

Gavin Beret Dawson and Maxwell Cade McCann were sentenced to probation for two years, with 60 days in the jail’s Alternative Sentencing Program, which includes jail work release and in- home detention. Both men had pleaded guilty to attempted second- degree assault of a peace officer — toxic caustic device, a felony.

Braiden John Ulmer was sentenced to probation for two years, with 30 days in the jail’s Alternative Sentencing Program. He pleaded guilty to the same charge as Dawson and McCann.

Isaac Carl Koch was granted a two- year deferred judgment and sentence after pleading guilty on Dec. 9 to conspiracy to possess and explosive/ incendiary device, a felony.