Aurora fire lieutenant's demotion stands after road incident targeting police officer

An Aurora fire lieutenant will remain demoted after he and a fellow firefighter ran an Aurora police sergeant off the road with a fire truck last year, an act they called a "prank," but the targeted officer described as an attempt on his life.

The Aurora Civil Service Commission upheld Lt. John Casessa's demotion this month, finding he acted in an "undisciplined, unprofessional and immature manner" during the February 25, 2025, incident. The commission reversed the demotion of the truck's driver, Engineer Ryan Endly, reducing his punishment to a 72-hour unpaid suspension.

The confrontation unfolded on a two-lane road near the southeast city shops. Aurora police Sgt. Tony Spano was driving a marked SUV westbound when the on-duty fire engine approached from the opposite direction. Video obtained by CBS Colorado shows the fire truck's spotlights flicking on and aiming directly at Spano's windshield as the engine drifted toward the center line.

Spano told investigators he had to swerve to avoid a collision.

"Someone tried to kill me," Spano said. "Why would you want to use a fire truck to kill a cop?"

Spano has since left the Aurora Police Department.

Casessa, the ranking officer aboard the engine, appealed his demotion alongside Endly, arguing the encounter amounted to harmless horseplay. The commission disagreed.

"Casessa was fully responsible not only for his misconduct, but for that of his subordinate, Engineer Endly, as well," the May 6 ruling states.

Commissioners faulted him for encouraging the behavior and failing to intervene that night.

Prosecutors declined to file criminal charges against either firefighter, concluding the conduct was "childish and foolish" but that no charge could be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Endly fared better before the commission. He acknowledged his actions were "unprofessional, potentially dangerous, and unacceptable," but argued a demotion was too harsh. The panel agreed, substituting the three-day suspension.

Neither Casessa nor Endly, nor their attorneys, responded to requests for comment from CBS Colorado on Monday.