Blue Immunity: Holding Law Enforcement Accountable

In the wake of the senseless murder of Elijah McClain, who was murdered during an unhinged encounter by police officer Randy Roedema and reckless paramedics Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec, Colorado has found itself once again grappling with the ongoing issue of police immunity. The daunting presence of police brutality continues to shake the streets of Colorado as Americans have been witness to countless cases where police officers have taken advantage of their authority to practice violence.

2021 Denver Black Lives Matter Protest

We have witnessed innumerable instances in which police officers harm or even murder citizens across the state and country and are entirely acquitted or get off scot-free. This intimidation tactic has put a lot of American lives at risk who feel that fighting for justice against bad cops is almost impossible. 

Colorado is known as one of the top five states with the highest rate of police brutality, as the senseless murder of Elijah McClain still echoes the lingering status quo of law enforcement being protected by the state. 

Earlier this year, on April 28, in the city of Fredrick, a police officer named Trevor McCourt noticed a vehicle without a license plate refusing to come to a complete stop at an intersection. McCourt initiated a traffic stop, which the individual refused to abide by, resulting in a low-speed pursuit. Following the pursuit, the car eventually ran into a dead end, which resulted in the 35-year-old man running out of the vehicle.

Officers ended up finding the 35-year-old behind a trash can, and as they were trying to take him into custody, McCourt assaulted the man on the side of the head with the butt of his gun, resulting in a head injury. After the man was taken into custody, he was sent to the hospital to get treatment for his wound. Once his wound was treated, the individual was taken to Weld County jail. 

After this incident, officers reported McCourt’s actions, fearing he was using excessive force on the individual. The Fredrick police department placed McCourt on administrative leave and conducted an internal investigation. The Frederick Police Department announced that Trevor McCourt had been fired and that an internal investigation was initiated shortly after. 

Law enforcement has repeatedly shown the citizens they intend to protect that they are above the law and can commit whatever actions they can with impunity. This case proved otherwise. Officers like McCourt abuse their power. The charges against McCourt displayed by the Weld County Court are second-degree assault, first-degree misconduct, and reckless endangerment. 

The firing of Trevor McCourt may have given little hope to the state of Colorado, holding reckless law enforcement accountable. 

Mugshots of Trevor McCourt

However, a most recent gut-wrenching case, once again in the city of Aurora, has brought attention to the reality of child sex abuse by police officers. 

Michael Hawkins, an Aurora police chief, has been accused of sexually abusing his youngest biological daughter and his two adopted daughters. This case was brought to light back in June, which resulted in Hawkins running free with just an ankle monitor, even after confirmation from Child Protective Services that he had sexually abused his children. His wife, Colorado mother Rachel Pickrel-Hawkins, served seven weekends in jail back in June due to opposing court-ordered reunification therapy between her ex-husband and her two youngest sons, whom she has full custody over. Her reasoning was to protect her children from her husband.

Pickrel-Hawkins says the reunification therapy conducted by a licensed therapist, Christine Bassett, was extremely harmful and counterintuitive. Pickrel-Hawkins says Basset “has supported the efforts” for Michael Hawkins to gain sole custody of her two sons. This has put Pickrel-Hawkin’s sons, who are now young adults, in a state of imminent psychological torture.

She says, “The very last visit with her, I told her, ‘This man now has formal criminal charges for sex assault on children and child abuse, and you need to know this.'” 

Pickrel-Hawkins protests the reunification of her children and their abusive father.

It is important to understand that Hawkins kids are young adults who are recalling the abuse that they experienced as children. The Larimer County judge ruled that this abuse was most likely not taking place due to only hearing testimony from the children, despite the proof that CPS has provided. This can also be tied to the notion that the judge may believe that Pickrel-Hawkins is in her children’s ear, diverting them from wanting to live with their father, a classic tactic used in a lot of custody battles throughout the country. This has garnered controversy among Colorado lawmakers who believe that children’s testimonies should be prioritized during these custody cases. 

Although Child Protective Services have proven the child abuse, there have barely been any repercussions for Michael Hawkins. Pickrel-Hawkins was living in a domestic violence house at the time of the order, where the court also instructed her to pay $370 a week for her boys to attend these reunification therapy sessions with their father. These sessions intend to unite families together during a time of divorce, custody, and legal battles. 

The child abuse has been utterly proven and made very clear. Why is the state doing everything in its power to protect Michael Hawkins, another bad cop who has made harmful and unspeakable decisions, and punish the mother who is seeking justice for her children and doing everything she can to protect them? 

The DOJ recently created a database of law enforcement officers’ misconduct records. This database ensures that other police departments do not hire officers with a history of bad behavior. It is a step in the right direction to prevent bad cops from serving our communities, which can once again put Americans in harm’s way.

Cops like Hawkins and Roedema are just a few examples of law enforcement that should be held accountable just like any other citizen committing the same crimes. There seems to be a growing list of bad cops throughout Colorado who don’t face the necessary consequences. As these cases unfold, police brutality continues to rise; according to Statista, as of September, over 800 people have been shot by police, 181 of them being Black individuals. This further proves how essential it is to stay informed, vote for laws that push for police reform, know your rights as Americans, and continue fighting for justice wherever.