Detective facing felony charges

An El Paso County sheriff's detective is facing felony charges stemming from a Feb. 28 chase and confrontation with Douglas County sheriff's deputies that ended with the detective brandishing his handgun at them.

Detective Jerald Day, a major crimes detective, refused to surrender after the chase, Douglas County sheriff's spokeswoman deputy Cocha Heyden said Friday. He was shot with a sponge round during a brief confrontation and then brought down by a police dog, she said.

Day, 42, is being treated at a Douglas County hospital for bite wounds on his arm.

He faces two counts of felony menacing, prohibited use of a weapon, vehicular eluding, resisting arrest, reckless driving and driving under the influence, Heyden said.

Day is on paid suspension, said Lt. Lari Sevene, a spokeswoman for the El Paso County Sheriff's Office. She declined to comment beyond saying that the sheriff's office was concerned with his "health and welfare."

Day joined the El Paso County Sheriff's Office in September 1996.

The incident began when the Douglas County Sheriff's Office was alerted to be on the lookout for Day, who, according to the call, was suicidal and heading north on Colorado 83 several miles south of Franktown.

Heyden gave the following account of what happened next:

A deputy responding at 10:30 p.m. found Day heading north in a tan Toyota pickup and began a pursuit when Day did not comply with the deputy's attempts to pull him over.

Other law enforcement officers in the area joined in the pursuit, and Day eventually pulled into a parking lot near Colorado 83 and Colorado 86, in Franktown northeast of Castle Rock. He refused to get out and displayed his pistol.

When Day got out of the truck, he refused to drop his weapon and surrender. A deputy shot him with the nonlethal sponge round, but Day continued to refuse orders. A police dog was released, bit his arm and brought him to the ground.

Heyden said she did not know why Day was distraught.

El Paso County court records show that a woman in El Paso County was granted a temporary restraining order against Day on Monday. A hearing for a permanent restraining order is scheduled for Thursday. Details are unavailable.