Colorado school police officer arrested and charged with felony sexual assault, among other charges
A Colorado police officer assigned to a school safety position has been arrested and is now facing eight charges including felony sexual assault.
Glenwood Springs Police Officer Sean Tatro, 33, was assigned as a school resource officer in Glenwood Springs but now sits in the Garfield County Jail on a $25,000 bond and is on administrative leave at the department. The department was alerted by the Garfield County Sheriff's Office, the city said in a statement.
Tatro is facing the following charges:
- Felony menacing;
- Felony sexual assault;
- Felony contributing to the delinquency of a minor who's 18 to 21;
- Felony use of stun gun in the commission of a crime;
- Felony second-degree assault;
- Misdemeanor harassment;
- Misdemeanor third-degree assault;
- Misdemeanor reckless endangerment.
He is not accused of having committed any of these crimes while on duty and none of the alleged victims are under the age of 18, the city said in a statement Friday.
"The Glenwood Springs Police Department is steadfast in our commitment to our community and to policing with integrity and compassion. I am deeply disappointed in these allegations, and yet, all defendants are provided due process and presumed innocent until proven guilty," Glenwood Springs Police Chief Joseph Deras said, in part, in a statement.
"However, if the charges are proven to be true, the administrative consequences from the City and the Police Department will be swift and deliberate," his statement continued. "These allegations are absolutely contrary to our culture and expectations and run counter to everything we stand for. Such behavior has no place in the Department and no place in our community."
Tatro started working with the Glenwood Springs Police Department in March 2022, a Facebook post from the department shows.
CBS News Colorado requested an arrest report and booking image for Tatro on Friday but those requests were still pending Saturday afternoon. He has not yet retained an attorney or been assigned a public defender, court records show. A protection order was granted for the alleged victim or victims; common practice in sexual assault cases.
A February 2024 Facebook post from the department shows Tatro posted outside Glenwood Springs Middle School, thanking him for his service.
"In honor of National School Resource Officer Appreciation Day, we would like to recognize School Resource Officer Sean Tatro," the post reads. "He not only serves as a law enforcement officer but also an informal mentor, counselor, and law educator to our youth. Thank you for commitment (sic) and dedication to keeping our schools and students safe!"
If convicted on any of the felony charges, Tatro would lose the ability to be a police officer in Colorado.
He's due back in court on May 14.
