False Reporting is just one of the crimes a person can be charged with in Fort Collins and Larimer County when they lie to police. The person can also face charges of Attempt to Influence a Public Servant and Tampering with Evidence. But, what happens when the liar is a police officer? Well, she gets charged just like everyone else! A Colorado police officer was recently charged with multiple crimes after she reported her spouse for Domestic Violence crimes. Through the investigation, it was discovered that her statements were inconsistent and there was evidence she had lied about what happened with her spouse. She was subsequently arrested and charged with 2 misdemeanors and a felony.
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Navigate this blog: What is Attempt to Influence a Public Servant in Loveland? | Lying to Law Enforcement How is Tampering with Physical Evidence Charged in Larimer County? |
What is Attempt to Influence a Public Servant in Loveland? | Lying to Law Enforcement
In Loveland and Fort Collins, Attempt to Influence a Public Servant – C.R.S. 18-8-306 – is defined as:
For the officer, it’s likely she was charged for trying to get other law enforcement officers to arrest her spouse by lying.
How is Tampering with Physical Evidence Charged in Larimer County?
Tampering with Physical Evidence – C.R.S. 18-8-610 – is defined in Larimer County, Colorado as:
(a) Destroys, mutilates, conceals, removes, or alters physical evidence with intent to impair its verity or availability in the pending or prospective official proceeding; or
(b) Knowingly makes, presents, or offers any false or altered physical evidence with intent that it be introduced in the pending or prospective official proceeding.
While not specifically stated in the article, it was mentioned that phones were subpoenaed as evidence. I would guess that there was some evidence on the phone that was either deleted or altered, probably to try and bolster her story.
Fort Collins False Reporting, C.R.S. 18-8-111
The Colorado law definition of False Reporting to Authorities – C.R.S. 18-8-111 – is:
(I) He or she knowingly:
(A) Causes by any means, including but not limited to activation, a false alarm of fire or other emergency or a false emergency exit alarm to sound or to be transmitted to or within an official or volunteer fire department, ambulance service, law enforcement agency, or any other government agency which deals with emergencies involving danger to life or property; or
(B) Prevents by any means, including but not limited to deactivation, a legitimate fire alarm, emergency exit alarm, or other emergency alarm from sounding or from being transmitted to or within an official or volunteer fire department, ambulance service, law enforcement agency, or any other government agency that deals with emergencies involving danger to life or property; or
(II) He or she makes a report or knowingly causes the transmission of a report to law enforcement authorities of a crime or other incident within their official concern when he or she knows that it did not occur; or
(III) He or she makes a report or knowingly causes the transmission of a report to law enforcement authorities pretending to furnish information relating to an offense or other incident within their official concern when he or she knows that he or she has no such information or knows that the information is false
It’s likely the officer was charged under subsection (II) or (III). She either made up the whole incident and reported it as a crime, or she added or embellished about an incident to make it worse and get her spouse charged.
If you or someone you love has been charged with False Reporting, Tampering with Evidence, or Attempt to Influence a Public Servant, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact the best criminal defense attorneys from the O’Malley Law Office at 970-658-0007 to schedule a free initial consultation. Together, we can protect your future.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio