COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A man who allegedly killed Officer Christine Guerin Sandoval will stand trial, according to our news partners The Gazette.
Sandoval was struck and killed in the line of duty while working with two other officers to serve arrest warrants on a parolee in Colorado Springs last Sept.
WATCH: OFFICER CHRISTINE GUERIN SANDOVAL IDENTIFIED AS VICTIM OF FATAL HIT AND RUN CRASH
The parolee, 42-year-old Justin Kula, was arrested. He is facing the following charges:
- vehicular homicide
- vehicular assault
- leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death
- manslaughter
Kula is also facing three counts for being a habitual criminal.
In a preliminary hearing Mon. the prosecution called three witnesses to the stand. Our news partners at The Gazette say all three were detectives with the Colorado Springs Police Department, and that they all spent much of the hearing reviewing the facts in the arrest affidavit.
They all spoke about the parole officers' search for Kula the day of the incident.
Kula's ex-wife called law enforcement earlier in the day because she was worried about his health, and requested that they look for him. She said he wouldn't seek medical attention because he had a warrant, and hadn't been appearing at meetings with his parole officer.
The detectives said Kula was approached in his vehicle by the three parole officersat a convenience store in Downtown Colorado Springs. Kula then drove off, allegedly hitting and killing Sandoval in the process.
During testimony, lead detective Ashton Gardner stated that several videos of the incident show this happening.
New evidence shows that Kula allegedly had a similar interaction with law enforcement in Fountain back in 2020.
During a traffic stop, a Fountain police officer discovered that Kula had a warrant for his arrest. According to Gardner, Kula attempted to flee the scene and assaulted the officer. Gardner says Kula then drove away.
The defense asked for an arraignment hearing to be set for six weeks from now. That hearing has been set for Feb. 23.
An arraignment is when the defendant can either plea guilty or not guilty. According to "speedy trial" requirement, if the defendant pleads not guilty, a trial will be set within 180 days.
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