Colorado: Former Police Officer Who Detained a Woman in SUV Hit by Train Receives No Jail Time

A Colorado police officer who put a handcuffed suspect into a police SUV that got hit by a train has been sentenced to supervised probation and public service, according to her attorney.

Fort Lupton officer Jordan Steinke will be on supervised probation for 30 months and will complete 100 hours of public service, as stated by attorney Mallory A. Revel.

Judge Timothy Kerns found Steinke guilty of reckless endangerment and third-degree assault but cleared her of a felony charge of attempting manslaughter in July, as reported by CNN.

While delivering the verdict, Judge Kerns stated, "There's no reasonable doubt that placing a handcuffed person in the back of a patrol car parked on railroad tracks creates a substantial and unjustifiable risk of harm by the train."

The incident occurred in September 2022, when Steinke and another officer investigated an alleged road rage incident involving a weapon in Weld County, approximately 72 miles from Denver.

Colorado Police Officer Says Incident "Haunted Her" for a Year

Yareni Rios-Gonzalez was pulled over, taken into custody, and placed in a police car parked on train tracks. While the officers were searching her vehicle, a train collided with the police car, per BBC.

During the sentencing, Steinke expressed remorse, saying, "What happened that night has haunted me for 364 days. I remember your cries and your screams. I remember begging you to tell me your name. Praying that you would stay awake. I have never felt so helpless. We couldn't get you out of the car."

She also expressed her desire to provide educational talks to fellow police officers about the dangers of railway tracks.

Rios-Gonzalez's lawyer stated that while his client suffered life-altering injuries and felt anger, she also felt sympathy for Steinke, who lost her career.

Initially, Judge Kerns intended to send Steinke to prison as a lesson about holding police officers accountable for misconduct.

However, the defense and prosecution requested a probationary sentence, leading to a decision change.

Victim Suffers Lasting Brain, Physical Injuries, According to Attorney

Jordan Steinke, the Colorado police officer, was terminated from her position as a police officer. Her third-degree assault conviction will trigger revocation proceedings for her Peace Officer Standards and Training certification, making her ineligible to work as a police officer in the future.

Rios-Gonzalez, who endured lasting brain and physical injuries from the crash, has lost trust in the justice system but also feels compassion for Steinke's career loss, The Denver Post noted.

Rios-Gonzalez expressed her desire for Steinke to write a heartfelt letter of apology, but Judge Kerns did not order Steinke to do so, stating, "That needs to come from you, from your heart, not because a judge told you to."

The other Colorado police officer involved in the incident, Pablo Vazquez, is set to go on trial later this year.

He faces charges of reckless endangerment and traffic-related violations for allegedly putting Rios-Gonzalez, Steinke, and three others at risk, according to Local 10.

During Steinke's trial, her defense argued that she was unaware of Vazquez's decision to park his police vehicle on the tracks.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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