300 Officers Salute Fallen Trooper Jursevics
CASTLE ROCK, Colo. (CBS4)- Hundreds of officers left the Douglas County Justice Center on Wednesday to salute the fallen Colorado State Patrol trooper who was struck and killed by a suspected drunk driver.
About 300 law enforcement officers stood at attention to salute Trooper Jaimie Jursevics on Wednesday afternoon. Her body left the Douglas County coroner's office in a casket.
Jursevics was struck by a car just before 9 p.m. Sunday. She had been assisting another trooper on the scene of an accident at Interstate 25 and Tomah Road.
State patrol says Jursevics was outside her car, talking on the phone to a motorist nearby who had reported a suspected drunk driver heading her way. The person on the line says the trooper tried to use a flashlight to pull the suspect over, but was struck and killed by that vehicle, which left the scene. The person heard her scream, then saw her flashlight fly in the air. Four miles later, Palmer Lake Police arrested retired Army Colonel Eric Henderson.
Henderson admitted to drinking several beers before and after the Broncos game. Officers say his speech was slurred, he smelled of alcohol, and reportedly cried while saying, "I killed a cop."
On Wednesday, the judge in Douglas County reduced Henderson's bond from $1 million to $500,000. He will appear in court on Friday for formal filing of charges. The judge expressed concern about how Henderson left the scene, didn't slow down and didn't stop.
