Parole Officer Christine Guerin-Sandoval
Officer: Colorado Dept. of Corrections, Community Parole Officer Christine Guerin-Sandoval
Date: 9/28/2023 Location: Colorado Springs, CO FACTORS (1,2,8,11,13,17,21)
Perpetrator(s) Involved: Justin Andrew Kula
Criminal Activity History/Involved: Yes, Kula was a career criminal with 18 arrests in Texas including in 2018 for felony assault, and 20 criminal cases in Colorado including six felonies. / Yes, Kula was being served with a parole warrant.
Mental Illness: Unknown.
Substance Abuse History/Involved: Yes, Kula has prior drug related arrests. / None stated.
Race/Sex/Age: White/Male/41
What prompted the initial contact with the killer? At around 3:45 p.m. on September 28, 2023, Colorado DOC, Community Parole Officers located parolee Justin Kula in his vehicle in a parking lot and attempted to serve him a parole warrant.
Actions taken by subject toward police: Rather than comply with the officers’ lawful orders, Kula accelerated his vehicle in reverse and ran over two of the three parole officers, killing officer Christine Guerin-Sandoval and injuring another female officer. Kula then fled the scene in his SUV.
Reactions by the police: A Blue Alert was issued and after several tips from the community, police tracked Kula down to a residence where he surrendered without further incident.
How murdered? Parole Officer Guerin-Sandoval was intentionally run over while serving a parole warrant.
What could have been done differently for the officer to still be alive? This incident reveals how deadly vehicles are when perpetrators use them to resist arrest or comply with law enforcement.
Would the officer have been justified in using deadly force before being murdered? The officers would have been justified in using deadly force as soon as Kula drove his vehicle at them.
Outcome for the cop-killer: Kula was arrested and faces charges of manslaughter, leaving scene of an accident resulting in death and third degree assault on a peace officer.
Miscellaneous: In November 2021 Kula was sentenced to two to four years upon pleading guilty tofelony menacing, extortion, assaulting two police officers and stalking – had he served the entire sentence, Parole Officer Guerin-Sandoval could still be alive today!
