Officers fired after transient camp incident investigation; no criminal charges

By Paul Shockley
Thursday, June 3, 2010

Grand Junction Police Chief John Camper announced this afternoon that three officers have been fired as a result of an investigation into their intrusion into a homeless camp in May.

The officers fired were Justin Roberts, 31, Phil Van Why, 35,  and Joseph Mulcahy, 28. Two other officers were disciplined internally for failing to report acts of vandalism, Camper said.

This, as District Attorney Pete Hautzinger today said he will not pursue criminal charges following an investigation by the Mesa County Sheriff’s Department. The three officers fired today declined to be interviewed in the criminal probe, Camper said.

“There are no eyewitnesses to the alleged criminal acts, there is no forensic evidence, the property was left unattended for several hours in an open field accessible by the general public and a significant number of the victims declined to cooperate,” Hautzinger wrote in letter on his decision.

The internal and criminal investigations were the result of a formal complaint filed May 5 by Grand Junction resident Jacob Richards, a local advocate for the area’s homeless, who alleged officers slashed tents, punctured bicycle tires and wrecked other property on the morning of May 3 at camps near the confluence of the Colorado and Gunnison rivers.

Camper today said the three officers on May 3 were in the area searching for a man suspected in the theft of copper wiring.

“There was not yet a warrant for the man,” Camper said.

Officers found the camp empty.

“During their search, however, we have confirmed that the officers cut several tents open with their pocket knives, and sliced one or more bicycle tires as well,” Camper said.

The actions, “had no useful law enforcement purpose,” the chief said.

Camper last week approved the purchase of 11 news tents, at a cost of $390, toward replacing property allegedly damaged by the officers. The chief said administration felt the purchase was “the right thing to do.”

Read more in Friday’s Daily Sentinel.