Officers allowed to return to duty after state sanctions on Pueblo Police Academy

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- Several police officers are permitted to return to duty after the Colorado Attorney General's Office placed sanctions on the Pueblo Police Department Law Enforcement Academy, according to the department.

The Pueblo Police Department (PPD) released on their Facebook that "Subject Matter Experts from the Colorado Peace Officer Standards and Training conducted Arrest Control Tactics (ACT) testing on officers from Class #63 and recruits from Class #64" on Wednesday, April 6.

The department goes on to say, "All officers and recruits successfully passed the Arrest Control Tactics testing."

A total of 11 law enforcement officers in Pueblo and Fremont County are permitted to return to their duties or continue in their training after passing the ACT test. Noeller said two officers from class 63 resigned from law enforcement, and did not take the test.

"All Pueblo Police Officers from class 63 passed the ACT test out yesterday and are back to work as of yesterday afternoon," Pueblo Police Chief Chris Noeller told 13 Investigates via email. "All of class 64 passed the test out for ACT and today took the POST Certification written exam, and all passed this exam."

Noeller says class 64 will begin the On The Job (PTO) training program on Sunday.

According to documents obtained by 13 Investigates, a compliance specialist with the Colorado Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) initially noticed inconsistencies with the ACT program at the Pueblo Police Academy in March.

Inspection records show some of the Pueblo Police Academy's training methods for making arrests were noncompliant and in violation of state standards. According to POST inspectors, the lead instructor, Sgt. Gabe Maldonado, continually stated that some maneuvers were "made up."

Inspectors also said the lesson plans were incomplete. According to the reports from the AG's office, instructors were not aware of when training must cease nor what injuries must be reported to the state during arrest training.

According to the Cpt. Dustin Taylor with the Pueblo Police Department, 5 trainees were injured during their arrest training between both graduating classes 63 and 64. PPD says one of those injuries was serious, but the prospective officer is expected to make a full recovery.

Taylor told 13 Investigates that injuries are anticipated during the arrest training portion as trainees are getting physical.

As a result of the March inspection, the Attorney General's office issued several sanctions against the Pueblo Police Academy:

•  The PPDLEA ACT program (class 65) shall cease instruction effective immediately.
•  The graduates from class 63 shall either agree to a temporary suspension of their POST certification effective immediately OR POST may take emergent action against their certificates through the Office of Administrative Courts. The suspension of the graduate’s certificates will only be lifted by successfully completing a POST-approved basic arrest control tactics program, or by successfully completing a POST ACT test out.
•  The cadets in class 64 shall not graduate or be administered the written POST exam until they have successfully completed a POST approved basic arrest control tactics program, or by successfully completing a POST ACT test out.
•  The lead instructor, Gabe Maldonado, is prohibited from instructing curriculum or skills at any POST academy until further notice.
•  This program must be re-submitted with a POST approved course of study for the ACT discipline. This must be compliant with all POST Rules as outlined above.
•  A new academy schedule must be resubmitted by March 29, 2022, to account for the change of schedule required by the pause of ACT training.  The PPDLEA be placed on a probationary status until April 1, 2023, which will result in increased compliance monitoring by POST.

The AG's office did say they received the new academy schedule and a new ACT program is expected to be submitted by the Pueblo Police Academy later this month.

"The ACT subject matter expert committee will need to review and approve it," said Lawrence Pacheco, a spokesperson with the Colorado AG's office. "We do not have an estimated time for when it will be approved."

The Facebook post from PPD makes no mention of Pueblo Police Academy class 65, or whether Sgt. Gabe Maldonado can return to instructing state-approved arrest training courses again.

At this time, Sgt. Maldonado remains prohibited from instructing at any academy according to the Colorado AG's office.