Police in Northern Colorado arrest "dangerous" man recently released from jail who was allegedly seen with a gun

Police in Greeley arrested a man who officials with the University of Northern Colorado say was spotted on their campus with a gun. The man who was arrested is Ephraim Debisa, the same man whose earlier criminal case got national attention two weeks ago after being released from jail against the wishes of a sheriff and district attorney. The release happened two weeks ago after Colorado law allowed him to walk free from unrelated charges like attempted murder.

Debisa allegedly carried the gun onto the Greeley campus on Tuesday evening. The university sent out an alert to students calling Debisa's alleged actions a "concern," and said he was seen at the Arlington Apartments. They said they were searching for him.

Debisa's release from jail made national headlines after Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams said he was forced to release Debisa due to a new Colorado law.

HB23-1034, signed by Gov. Jared Polis in 2024, created a loophole in the legal system. It was intended to prioritize mental health care for those found incompetent to stand trial, like Debisa. However, Debisa and some others have fallen through the cracks and have been released to the public after being deemed unqualified to receive mental health care. Without being able to receive the care or being found guilty of a crime, such alleged criminals are then able to be released into the community.

CBS News Colorado's report about Debisa's release was shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, by Elon Musk. It was also shared as one of conservative activist Charlie Kirk's final tweets before he was assassinated the next day. Musk and Kirk both echoed the sentiments Reams had in the CBS News Colorado report, demanding laws be changed to not allow people facing serious charges to be released in such a way as HB24-1034 allowed.

Gov. Jared Polis responded to Musk's share of the report, claiming Debisa's release was "absolutely unacceptable." Polis tweeted out, calling on authorities to "Remove this threat now." However, both Reams and Weld County District Attorney Michael Rourke said they followed the law that Polis signed, citing the law as the reason they weren't able to retain Debisa in jail.

UNC campus police warned the public that Debisa was unlawfully on the campus, and the university encouraged students and staff to keep their doors secured and to be mindful of their surroundings while the search for Debisa was taking place.

Below is the notice issued by UNC police:

Fellow Bears,
I am emailing to let you know about an individual who is not affiliated with our university but has recently been on campus and is someone I believe to be dangerous.
Ephraim Debisa (aka Debisa Ephraim), pictured below, has had several interactions with the University of Northern Colorado Police Department (UNC PD) over the past few years, and his recent behavior has given us cause for concern.
On Sept. 23, Debisa was seen in the Arlington Apartments, and he was in possession of a firearm. UNC PD responded immediately, but upon arrival, Debisa was no longer in the building. While no one was threatened or harmed during this incident, the UNC PD is actively looking for Debisa.
Due to past safety-related incidents, Debisa has been banned from campus. While he may appear friendly, his presence on campus is against the law. We advise anyone who sees Debisa to not approach or engage with him and instead call UNC PD immediately at 970-351-2245, or 911 in the event of an emergency.
Your safety is my highest priority. While the UNC PD continues to investigate this incident, here are some ways we can all work together to keep campus safe:
• Keep residence hall doors secured and be mindful about who is entering with you.
• If you notice someone or something that doesn't seem right, contact UNC PD.
• Call 911 right away if there's an urgent safety concern.