KRDO13 Investigates: Deputy District Attorney arrested for DUI after driving to Space Force Station gate
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — A prosecutor with the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office is accused of driving under the influence after deputies say he drove up NORAD Road and arrived at a security gate for Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station while trying to get to Breckenridge.
The DA’s office has since placed 26-year-old Cole McGowen on unpaid administrative leave.
According to an arrest affidavit obtained by KRDO13 Investigates, McGowen drove up NORAD Road to the security gate around 8:25 a.m. Saturday.
McGowen told a security officer he was trying to get to Breckenridge, according to the affidavit. The officer told him to turn around, but investigators say McGowen then drove toward another gate.
The officer directed McGowen to a parking lot, where he parked.
Deputies who responded said McGowen had glossy eyes, slurred speech and smelled of alcohol. They also said he struggled to maintain his balance when he got out of his truck.
When deputies asked McGowen where he was coming from, he told them he did not know, according to the affidavit. McGowen told deputies he had consumed “a couple beers.”
Deputies administered a roadside sobriety test and documented signs of impairment before arresting McGowen on suspicion of DUI.
According to the affidavit, McGowen later refused a blood test.
McGowen is a deputy district attorney with the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, which serves El Paso and Teller counties.
KRDO13 Investigates contacted the DA’s office about McGowen’s arrest. The office said McGowen has been placed on unpaid administrative leave while it gathers more information.
The DA’s office also said McGowen’s case will be sent to a separate judicial district for prosecution because of the conflict created by his employment with the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
McGowen faces a misdemeanor DUI charge.
KRDO13 Investigates reached out to McGowen and his attorneys for comment but has not yet received a response.
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