Author: KRDO

Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Vehicle collisions with deer can often result in injuries, and occasionally deaths, to both drivers and animals.

However, Brandon Hystad has experienced two such crashes since Thanksgiving and although he and his passengers weren’t hurt, the cars he drove at the time didn’t fare well.

“In the first one, last November, I totaled my car when a deer came out of nowhere,” he said, recalling the incident from the driver’s seat of his new car. “All I know was that the air bags deflated and the car automatically braked.”

That was on southbound Highway 115, traveling up a steep hill near the Pawnee Avenue intersection overlooking Fort Carson.

“At the first of May, I was driving my girlfriend’s car when I saw a deer in the left turn lane while I was in the left through lane,” Hystad said. “I slowed down and was just about to pass it when it suddenly ran in front of me and I hit it.”

That impact was on southbound 115 near the intersection of Cheyenne Meadows and Star Ranch roads, just within the city limits.

“It caused $10,000 in damage to the vehicle and it’s still in the shop,” Hystad said.

He wonders why there are so many deer in the area.

“I just moved back here last year after being away for 17 years,” Hystad explained. “Before I left, I rarely saw a deer. After the first crash, a state trooper said it was the sixth deer crash that he had responded to that evening. After that, it was almost a daily occurrence that I saw a dead deer, or somebody who had just hit a deer, and their car was wrecked and they’re on the side of the road.”

He and his mother — who initially contacted KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior about the trend — said that the crashes seem to happen at dusk, along a seven-mile stretch of the highway between Cheyenne Meadows/Star Ranch and Keeton Ranch Road.

“The deer are always moving west from Fort Carson, across the highway to where homes are,” she said. “Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) told me that people may be feeding them. It’s a dangerous situation.”

Gabriel Cosyleon, an environmental manager with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), said that he’s not aware of an unusually high number of deer-related crashes in the area.

But he confesses that vehicle collisions with deer and other animals along highway corridors such as Highway 115 and Interstate 25 are an issue for the agency.

In fact, when CDOT completed a project last year to improve Highway 115 between Rock Creek Canyon Road and the El Paso/Fremont County line, it included the creation of a wildlife passage under the Rock Creek bridge, and the installation of wildlife fencing a half-mile north and south of the bridge.

Cosyleon said that it’s not nearly enough to keep wildlife off the highway.

“We’ve found that a lot of animals are using that passage,” he said. “Not just deer. The key is making it as natural as possible. If it looks too much like a culvert or a man-made concrete structure, some wildlife won’t use it. But with the amount of wildlife that are moving across highways, we need a lot more pathways.”

Wildlife fencing is expensive, Cosyleon said, and obtaining permission to install it on Army or private property is difficult.

However, CDOT is currently building a $15 million overpass for wildlife crossings in I-25, south of the Greenland interchange in Douglas County; it’s part of the “Gap” project that widened the highway between Monument and Castle Rock.

The overpass is a collaboration with CDOT, the Federal Highway Administration, Colorado Parks & Wildlife and other local partners; it’s being constructed specifically for big game animals such as deer and elk, and will complete a system of other wildlife crossings that are part of the “Gap” improvements.

The wildlife passage under the Rock Creek Bridge cost $500,000.

“The number-one priority, I’d say we have right now, is the New Mexico state line near Trinidad,” Cosyleon revealed. “We have animals that are coming up from into Colorado and are being hit on the top of Raton Pass.”

Hystad said that he wasn’t aware of CDOT’s efforts to reduce auto/deer crashes but is glad the agency is doing what it can.

“I understand the challenges but I think more can be done,” he said. “Put up more deer crossing signs. Install more street lights that would make it easier for people to see deer ahead of time.”

The Highway 115 situation is the area’s first widespread concern expressed about deer since officials in Colorado Springs and Woodland Park had serious discussions between 2017 and 2019.

However, those officials couldn’t agree on whether they should reduce the local deer population, or how they’d do it — and the matter became less of a priority when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in the spring of 2020.

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Bradley Davis

PUEBLO, Colorado (KRDO) – A local haunted house director is hosting the first ever free “Summerween” in Pueblo, with costumes, candy, cosplayers, live DJs, food trucks, a magician, a ventriloquist and more coming to Lake Minnequa Park on Saturday.

Jared Perea is hosting the event as an extension of his fall haunted house, “Jed’s Haunted House.” Last year, he hosted the haunted house at the Pueblo Mall. He said the mall let him use the indoor space for free, as long as he made entry free for all patrons.

The event is inspired by the Disney show Gravity Falls, widely accepted as the first mainstream mention of the holiday, mashing up summer vacation with Halloween traditions. Perea said his kids are a fan of the show and gave him the idea.

Attendees are encouraged to show up in costume, similar to coming to a trunk-or-treat during the Halloween season. Holding to those traditions, the Pueblo Summerween will host a costume contest.

Pueblo Summerween is from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Perea said they have rented out the entire park, but you can find parking off of Palmer Avenue, right across the street from the Lake Minnequa Basketball Area.

It’s the second mention of Summerween KRDO13 was able to find in Pueblo. The Pueblo Art Alliance hosted a Summerween-themed First Friday Art Walk last July. The Gravity Falls Summerween episode first aired in 2012.

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Tyler Cunnington

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – A new lawsuit claims that a Colorado Springs police officer not only used excessive force during a suspected DUI arrest in 2023, but also alleges that he lied about a key piece of evidence in the case.

The complaint, filed on behalf of 39-year-old Jessica Halling, also names the Chief of the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) as well as the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s office, alleging they failed to act on a judge’s concerns about the officer’s credibility.

The lawsuit includes three separate files containing body camera footage from June 3, 2023, which totals over 1 hour and 16 minutes.

You can view those videos here, along with the lawsuit.

Allegations of excessive force:

The lawsuit stems back to a 2023 case, when 39-year old Jessica Halling was detained by CSPD officer Gregory Campbell on suspicion of DUI.

On June 3, 2023, Halling’s neighbors called police to report “numerous complaints” against her, including allegations that she had been sitting in her car, which had been parked on the street in front of her house for “hours.”

According to the lawsuit, Campbell approached Halling’s parked car and briefly spoke with her before noticing open cans of alcohol on the floor. He then asked her to step out of the car and placed her in handcuffs.

Body camera footage then shows Campbell attempting to search her twice, to which she moves her hips away from his hands and requests a female officer to come evaluate her instead.

From there, the encounter escalates, with Halling repeatedly making the same requests for a female officer, while she remained handcuffed on the ground as Campbell knelt on her.

Attorneys for Halling argue that she was fully compliant during the exchange; however, body camera footage shows Campbell eventually removing her glasses, warning that if she “doesn’t stop resisting” she’d be pepper sprayed.

Campbell then sprays her in the eyes, and just under 30 seconds later, sprays her again as she yells for a female officer.

During Halling’s trial for the DUI, Campbell was asked about his take down of Ms. Halling. The lawsuit writes that the exchange went as follows:

Defense: “Your testimony today is that you did not think you threw her hard to the ground?”

Campbell: “Correct.”

Officer Campbell was then presented with his body camera footage from the incident in which he specifically stated to another officer “…so I threw her hard to the ground.”

That footage, reviewed by KRDO13 on Thursday, confirms the quote from Campbell.

Attorneys allege officer lied about evidence, CSPD & District Attorney failed to investigate:

In addition to alleging excessive force, Halling’s attorneys claim Officer Campbell falsely stated on a state toxicology form that he personally witnessed two samples of blood being taken for Halling’s DUI on June 3, 2023.

During Halling’s trial, Campbell testified that he hadn’t seen blood drawn from Halling, which is reaffirmed by his body camera footage from that day.

However, Campbell had previously signed a P23 form, used in DUI cases, where he falsely stated he had personally observed the blood draw before submitting it as an official record. That form was later used to revoke Halling’s driver’s license for 18 months, her attorneys say.

Halling was charged with a DUI and obstruction of justice. Ultimately, she took a plea deal.

Regina Walter, the judge overseeing the DUI trial in late 2024, stated that the blood draw was not admissible into evidence “because of Campbell’s falsification,” calling him ‘incredible.’

The judge also entered a factual finding that officer Campbell had engaged in “blatant use of excessive force” against Ms. Halling.

Those findings prompted City Attorney Frederick Stein to request a continuance in order to challenge the finding that Campbell was ‘incredible as a matter of law’.

The lawsuit contends that Stein did not challenge Judge Walter’s findings that Campbell had used excessive force against Halling, nor did he challenge her finding that Campbell had lied multiple times on official criminal justice records in the case.

In that same hearing, the judge spoke into court record that she had personally emailed Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez as a result of what she had seen in the trial, informing him that Campbell had lied on the P23 form.

The email according to court transcript reads:

“Dear Chief, I have watched Officer Campbell’s body worn camera footage from June 3rd, 2023, People versus Halling, 23M4128. I would urge you to review the footage for training purposes and to determine whether you want to take any further action. Please be advised that Officer Campbell lied on the CBI toxicology request for laboratory examination. His testimony in court was that he did not observe the blood draw on June 3rd of 2023. He certified that he witnessed the actual withdrawal of blood from Jessica Halling.”

Later in August 2024, Halling made an official request for the Internal Affairs (IA) file investigating Campbell for his conduct, but was told a month later the investigation hadn’t been completed.

On April 30 of this year, Halling was sent a completed copy of the IA investigation, which stated that Campbell was just in his use of pepper spray against her.

Halling’s attorneys now claim that Vasquez, alongside the District Attorney’s Office, did not make an effort to investigate the judge’s credibility concerns in regards to Officer Campbell.

They’re now demanding Campbell be added to the Brady List – a public information resource about officer misconduct – which would also impact any current and future cases involving Officer Campbell, due to credibility issues.

Attorneys are also requesting that these violations be put on Campbell’s POST certification as an officer, which is currently blank.

KRDO13 reviewed CSPD’s Standard Operating Procedure and found that under “Credibility Disclosure Notifications to the DAO,” Internal Affairs is required to notify the District Attorney’s Office in writing if a sworn officer is proven to fit one of several stipulations, including:

Tampered with or fabricated evidence; or

Knowingly made an untruthful statement concerning a material fact, knowingly omitteda material fact in an official criminal justice record, or knowingly omitted a material factwhile testifying under oath or during an internal affairs investigation or administrativeinvestigation and disciplinary process

The same Standard Operating Procedure, under “Brady Notifications (Sworn & Civilian),” states that CSPD has a duty to report certain issues to the District Attorney’s Office in accordance with Brady v. Maryland, as they may include evidence relevant to a defendant’s guilt, innocence, or sentencing.

Just two of several stipulations include:

If a department member is found by a judge to have testified falsely under oath; or

If CSPD receives an allegation related to excessive or inappropriate use of force or thefailure to intervene in an excessive or inappropriate use of force; or

When KRDO13 reached out to the CSPD and the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office with questions about the allegations, we were told by both entities they would not comment due to ongoing litigation.

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Mackenzie Stafford

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – On Thursday, Chavez Huerta Preparatory Academy (CHPA) students, staff, parents and community members gathered outside of the Pueblo County Courthouse to kick off a demonstration. The group marched to the Pueblo School District 60 building, chanting “Let us go, so we can grow.”

The rally comes as the clock is ticking down to keep the charter’s doors open, with the school’s contract with the district set to expire at the end of June. 

Participants urged District 60 to release Chavez Huerta Preparatory Academy from the district or to reauthorize their contract for another year, hoping to preserve a school deeply valued by its families.

“Many of us choose CHPA for so many reasons, for the diversity, early college, mariachi, folklórico,” listed parent Anna Casarez Herrera.

Casarez Herrera has three students at the different academy schools, and one more hoping to attend next year. She says she’s speaking out to try and make that a reality.

“We parents and students, we have made CHPA the school of choice. And don’t take that away from us,” Casarez Herrera said.

She says CHPA has always been home to their family; no matter where they move in the city, they have always had CHPA to go back to.

Chavez Huerta says they’ll be sending a formal request for reconsideration to the district on Thursday.

But the district says they already voted on this at the end of April, when the board decided in a 3 to 2 vote to reaffirm their decision not to renew the charter. 

PAST COVERAGE: D60 votes against releasing Chavez Huerta Preparatory Academy to get charter status

But the board also won’t release them from the district, so the school can’t operate through any other organization right now. 

Previously, district officials cited low enrollment and poor financial management as reasons for not renewing the school’s charter.

READ MORE: Chavez Huerta Prep faces uncertainty, explores options to keep doors open after charter not renewed

Chavez Huerta disputes those claims, but is offering ways to try to address some of those concerns, including implementing new budget and enrollment strategies.

On Thursday, academy families marched on, calling on the district to reconsider as options for CHPA dwindle.

If the district were to release CHPA, it could contract with an alternative education program or seek charter status with the Colorado Charter School Institute (CSI). The only other solution without the district’s permission would be to become a private school. 

“We’d struggle with that because again, we don’t want to charge our kids, our parents’ tuition,” explained Executive Director of CHPA, Fred Segura.

He says they’ll continue to investigate and see what they can do, but ultimately, if the academy’s pleas fall on deaf ears, the school will likely close.

“If we don’t get that authorization, we’re going to have to make some tough decisions as far as closure,” said Segura.

KRDO13 reached out to D60 about the rally held on Thursday and received the following statement from a district spokesperson:

“Following the State Board of Education’s decision to uphold D60’s non-renewal of the CHPA charter agreement, the school’s contract is set to expire at the end of June.

D60 is focused on supporting families through this transition, and we welcome families to explore all of their enrollment options. Several of our schools have welcome nights planned in the coming weeks that we encourage all families interested in those schools to attend. 

Enrollment information can be found on our website at www.pueblod60.0rg or by calling 719-253-6014.”

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Over 900 cadets and thousands of family members packed Falcon Stadium on a cold, overcast and rainy morning to celebrate one of the biggest moments in the young lieutenants’ lives.

The clouds persisted, forcing the Academy to cancel both the Thunderbird flyover and air show – but the newly-minted Second Lieutenants didn’t seem to notice.

“Butter Bars! We’ve been singing about this for four years since basic, so we’re hype,“ said Air Force Academy graduate Minjae Kim after his friend and fellow lieutenant, Enrique Oti, pinned on his new shoulder insignia.

Air Force Academy graduate Gabrielle Olivera was joined at the celebration by her best friend and fellow graduate, Elise Eichhorn.

“I saw her at the very beginning and now it’s the end. She’s come so far and done so much, and I’m so glad I could live this one last moment with her,” Olivera said.

Both graduates and family members left the stadium with damp faces, and not entirely from the persistent drizzle.

“I bet my dad’s going to be crying. I know he’s really proud of me,” said Air Force Academy graduate Matthew Sharkey Isaac.

Even without the Thunderbirds, each and every one of the 909 graduates had the chance to celebrate their next step Thursday as commissioned Second Lieutenants in the United States Air Force.

Swipe through the videos up top to see full reaction, as well as our live interview with over 20 members of an American Samoa family who flew over 12 hours to see their graduate!

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Celeste Springer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — The Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) says its crews were able to rescue a dachshund named Finley from a pipe.

According to the department, CSFD got a call from Finley’s owners. They said Finley was stuck in a pipe under a concrete slab on their porch. The owners said Finley had been stuck for several hours.

CSFD says its crew was able to use cameras to locate him, and he was about 15 feet into the pipe.

The fire department says they were able to use their tools to cut a hole in the concrete and reach under the slab to grab Finley.

“Rescue teams report that Finley immediately began running around and wagging his tail when reunited with his family,” wrote CSFD on Facebook. “A special shout-out goes to Paramedic Alan Kent– with only 13 shifts left on the job before retirement, he upheld his duty and ensured Finley was healthy and happy.”

The department says the family was advised to get Finley checked out at the vet just in case.

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Celeste Springer

UPDATE: As of 11:15 a.m. the Thunderbird flyover and airshow have been cancelled, according to the USAFA. This could be subject to change with the weather. KRDO13 will update this article if the Air Force Academy decides to move forward with the show.

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) will hold its graduation on Thursday at 9 a.m.

You can watch the stream below:

(Note: if you are having difficulties with the stream, it could be because you are in a browser directed by Facebook. If issues persist, head to KRDO.com in your regular mobile browser and find this article on our front page. Go full screen on the stream and hit “play.”)

Secretary of the Air Force Troy E. Meink will speak at the commencement.

According to the USAFA, 909 people are graduating, which includes cadets from Guyana, Indonesia, Kosovo, Malaysia, Niger, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Tunisia.

USAFA says 10 graduates have parents who both graduated from the Air Force Academy.

As of Sept. 2024, USAFA says 840 graduates have attained the rank of general.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — “Will it rain during the graduation ceremony?” and “Will the Thunderbirds fly?” were likely the two big questions being asked in the hours before Thursday morning’s commencement exercises at the Air Force Academy.

Several hours before the ceremony’s scheduled start, overnight rain had stopped but clouds hung low over the Academy grounds.

A light drizzle fell throughout the remainder of the morning but there was no traffic congestion to speak of.

Assuming that the Thunderbirds — the Air Force’s aerial performance squadron — takes to the skies for their popular performance at the end of the ceremony, authorities remind drivers to not stop on the shoulders of Interstate 25 to watch the jets.

A fact that many people may not realize is that the six-mile stretch of the interstate between the North and South gates is on Academy property.

Drivers attending Thursday’s ceremony should be aware that several Academy roads around Falcon Stadium, the event location, will be closed from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Attendees at the North Gate will notice two things different; A roundabout that was built last summer and the opening of the new Polaris Hotel nearby.

The roundabout construction closed the North Gate for two weeks, shifting all inbound and outbound traffic to the South Gate; however, the Academy considers that to be its main gate, and has more lanes to handle increased traffic.

What likely most eased traffic congestion is not having the president deliver the commencement speech; the president’s visit — last made in 2023 by former President Joe Biden and in 2019 by current President Donald Trump during his first term — requires extra security and road closures.

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Celeste Springer

CHAFFEE COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office says a father is dead after attempting to climb a cliff face at Agnes Vaille Falls.

According to the sheriff’s office, they were called out around 4 p.m. on Tuesday after hikers said they had found a deceased person face down in a creek bottom near the falls.

Deputies learned that the man, now identified as 38-year-old Ronald Eugene Stamm, had come out for a hike with his wife and daughter. They say after making it to the falls, his wife and daughter headed back, but he continued to hike alone.

Based on their evidence, they believe Stamm tried to climb the cliff face at the falls without equipment and fell about 100 feet.

The sheriff’s office said that by the time they arrived to investigate a report of his body, his wife and daughter were still waiting for him at the bottom of the trail.

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Mackenzie Stafford

WOODLAND PARK, Colo. (KRDO) — Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) says a moose attacked a man and his dogs in Woodland Park. Ultimately, one of the dogs had to be euthanized due to the injuries, CPW said.

CPW says they received the call on Memorial Day. The agency says a man was letting his dogs back inside when a female moose with calves started to attack.

The man reportedly rolled under a car to get away and witnessed the moose stomp on his dogs.

CPW said the man’s wife had been charged by a moose just a day prior, but she was able to get inside.

“This incident is a reminder of why we warn everyone to respect wildlife and give them their space,” said Travis Sauder, CPW Assistant Area Wildlife Manager. “We know Colorado residents love their dogs. But it’s important to understand that moose see dogs as predators and react in defense of themselves and their young.”

CPW said they planned to sedate and relocate the moose and calves, but ultimately, they were observed moving into a more remote area.

The agency says the moose population in Teller County is rapidly growing. Statewide, CPW said there were about 2,250 moose in 2013, but 3,600 now.

“This cow moose was exhibiting classic protective behavior of its calves,” Sauder said. “Be sure to give wildlife extra space, especially when they are raising their young. And it is always best to keep dogs on leashes or in a fenced area to reduce the chances of an incident with wildlife.”

CPW says those who are photographing or observing wildlife from a distance this summer should use the “rule of thumb.” While looking at the animal, hold your thumb up. If your thumb can’t cover the entire animal, you are too close and need to back up.

Wildlife officials tell KRDO13 it’s best to keep your dog on a leash, especially during this time of year when many wild animals are having babies, making mothers increasingly protective.

“We always recommend keeping them on a leash, even if you’re letting them outside to use the bathroom. It’s just the safest way to keep your pets secure,” explained Joey Livingston, CPW Public Information Officer.

He went on to explain that many wild animals, including deer, elk, bear and moose, will want to protect their young, especially in Colorado’s mountainous areas.

“Generally, this first week of June is when we start seeing the baby deer on the ground. And the deer will still defend their young, just like the moose this moose did. And so if you let your dogs outside, try to go outside first and make sure there’s no deer, no fawns in the area,” shared Livingston.

In Teller County, CPW says Manitou Lake is a prime location for moose. KRDO13 spoke with a Woodland Park resident at Manitou Lake who had a close call with a moose two weeks before this attack.

Paul Whitfield tells KRDO13 he heard a fellow fisherman yelling to get the attention of others to alert them to the large animal moving their way. He says at first it appeared to be a tall horse until he realized it was, in fact, a moose.

He said as it approached him, he backed up and stood as still as he could while the moose passed by. Afterwards, he said the experience was exciting and he documented the moose encounter. One of Paul Whitfield’s photos is included below.

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