Lawyer for Aspen Teen Delves into Details
The Aspen high school student who was forced to the ground and arrested by police [last] Friday, is working with a lawyer. Trial Attorney Ryan Kalamaya will represent the teen who police suspect had marijuana.
Kalamaya says he was contacted by the teen’s family after the incident happened at a bus stop near the Aspen school campus. Video footage taken by a student on the scene and then widely shared on the internet shows two officers and a civilian taking down the screaming boy. One officer uses a pressure-point compliance tactic. Police say the boy resisted arrest. Kalamaya says the incident raises issues around marijuana and the use of police power.
“The reason I wanted to take it on was because this issue of the role of law enforcement in our society is obviously a hot topic. It’s a healthy dialogue to talk about the role of police here in the Roaring Fork Valley.”
The teenager will appear in court on February 17th, where he will face possible charges.
Ryan Kalamaya is a member of Aspen Public Radio’s Citizens Advisory Board.
Deadline for Health Care Sign Up Approaching
Sunday is the deadline for signing up for health insurance this year. Counties along the Roaring Fork Valley have been holding free clinics to help people sign up. The effort includes Pitkin, Eagle, and Garfield Counties. Pitkin held a sign up event yesterday, where counselors helped more than sixteen people. Megan Burch is overseeing the effort.
“There are dental plans available this year. That is new, I don’t think as many people are either aware of the dental plans being out there, we haven’t seen as a huge number of enrollment.”
Burch says it’s still possible to sign up for coverage this year after Sunday, if someone has a major event their life. Burch says the number of people signing up through Connect for Health is about the same as last year.
Investigation Continues Following I-70 Shooting
An autopsy is being done on a man who was killed by law enforcement Tuesday. He was shot after a high speed chase. The Garfield County Sheriff’s Office says the Parachute-area resident was killed after he evaded officers for about thirty miles along I-70. They were going up to a hundred miles an hour.
After the man was forced to get out of his car, he held a gun to his head and tried to return to I-70. Walt Stowe is a spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office.
“I mean he could have gotten onto the interstate and started shooting at passersby, he could have forced a car to pull over so he could take that car, shooting at officers themselves.”
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation is looking into the matter. The incident started with a call about domestic abuse.
