Fremont County Sheriff supports 2nd Amendment Sanctuary County status

Just one week after the controversial Red Flag bill passed through its first committee in the Colorado State Legislature, Fremont County is now coming out against it.

On Tuesday, the Board of County Commissioners passed a resolution unanimously naming their jurisdiction a “2nd Amendment Sanctuary.”

Dwayne McFall, who represents District 3, says it means “the Sheriff will not enforce those laws.”

The resolution is purely symbolic, because it doesn’t change anything about the county’s laws, but McFall says it lets people know where they stand on the bill if passed.

Newly elected Fremont County Sheriff Allen Cooper is supporting the commissioners’ resolution. He tells KRDO he thinks the bill infringes on the U.S. Constitution.

He says if the bill is passed as is, he won’t support it.

“The reality is the deputies will take their lead from me. Their direction will come from me. It’s my stance that would be important there,” Cooper explains.

The sheriff said he might consider changing his mind if one provision is altered. In the bill, it explains after a temporary risk protection order is issued and firearms are seized, the court has 14 days to implement a full protection order, taking control of the guns for 364 days.

Cooper says that’s too long.

“Once a judge signs the order, and the guns are seized, they have two weeks to take action,” Cooper said. “OK, that’s two weeks of depriving someone of their property, the right to defend themselves if that’s necessary. If it’s actually going to be an emergency, why can’t it be accomplished in 72 hours?”

The resolution passed by commissioners won’t have any effect on the bill’s passing, but leaders in Fremont County are hoping it sends a message to lawmakers in Denver.