Colorado Police Officer Dies Days After Falling 40 Feet from Bridge During Pursuit

Officer Julian Becerra
City of Fountain Government
Michael Foster

A Colorado police officer who fell 40 feet from a bridge while pursuing a suspect earlier this month died Saturday, authorities have confirmed.

Law enforcement was attempting to apprehend a carjacking suspect, identified as Devon Bobian, 31, on foot following a vehicle pursuit when officer Julian Beccera “fell over the bridge and landed 40 feet below,” the Fountain City Government wrote in a Facebook post.

9 News reported Becerra was later airlifted to receive treatment, and police indicated in a later post that he had been placed on life support. 

Bobian, along with Danisha Pacheco, 28, Anthony Vallejos, 32 – all of whom are from Pubelo – were arrested, police said. 

“The past 24 hours at the Fountain Police Department have been heartbreaking, frustrating and emotionally overwhelming in so many ways.” Fountain Police Public Information Officer Lisa Schnieder wrote at the time. 

Ultimately, Becerra fought for nine days before dying at 7:14 p.m. on February 11, the department announced.

The City of Fountain said Becerra had been helping the Department of Corrections Parole Unit track down “a known carjacking suspect” with “active felony warrants,” when the horrific night unfolded on February 2. It is unclear which of the three suspects they were referring to, but Vallejos and Bobian were both wanted on felony warrants. 

The trio was allegedly riding around in a stolen vehicle and allegedly attempted multiple carjackings on February 2, according to the city’s report. 

After law enforcement used “a tire deflation device” to “disable the vehicle,” authorities say the suspects “continued to elude officers eastbound on South Academy.”

The pursuing officers finally managed to stop the suspect by performing a tactical vehicle intervention, according to city officials. Afterward, the department said, the driver, allegedly Boabian, attempted to flee, leading to the scene on the bridge. 

After Becerra fell, Bobian allegedly “attempted to jump off the bridge,” but the officers prevented him from falling as he cried, “let me go, I want to die,” according to authorities. 

Bobian was on the loose for “nearly two months after fleeing a community corrections program in Pueblo,” KOAA reported.

Online inmate records show that he has been charged with felony aggravated motor vehicle theft, felony criminal mischief, misdemeanor theft, trespassing, and “unauthorized absence.”

“Pacheco is in custody at the El Paso County jail on charges of assault, robbery, vehicular eluding, motor vehicle theft, and menacing in connection with the El Paso County case,” KOAA noted.  

It is unclear what Vallejos is charged with, though authorities say she “was arrested on numerous felony charges.”

More charges are expected to be filed at the conclusion of the investigation, per authorities. 

Becerra had been a police officer in Fountain for four and a half years. Becerra’s brother-in-law, identified by 9 News as David Alderman, noted on a GoFundMe page that before joining the police department, Becerra had served in the United States Air Force.

Becerra is survived by his wife, Katie, as well as two children, eight and one, Becerra’s brother-in-law indicated.

You can follow Michael Foster on Twitter at @realmfoster.

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