Colorado School of Mines professor arrested in crash that killed one officer

by Junna Base November 8, 2024

The Golden police officers killed and injured in a suspected DUI crash Wednesday were identified Thursday. Earlier that day, a Colorado School of Mines professor charged in the crash appeared in court.

Golden officials said Thursday afternoon that Evan Dunn, 33, was killed in the line of duty while responding to the crash on Colorado 58. Police officer Bethany Grusing was seriously injured.

Stephen Geer, a 43-year-old mechanical engineering professor at the Colorado School of Mines who was arrested and held overnight in the accident that killed Dunn, is being investigated for vehicular homicide and vehicular assault. He appeared Thursday morning before Jefferson County Court Judge Thomas Vance, who set Geer’s bond at $250,000 and scheduled his next appearance for Nov. 14

Geer has no criminal record and is closely connected to the community.

Dunn, who also served as a pilot and company commander in the Colorado National Guard, and Grusing were outside their vehicle investigating a separate accident just before 5 p.m. when a vehicle driven by Geer struck a vehicle on a flyover curve, said Police Chief Joe Harvey of Golden said late Wednesday.

According to the Colorado State Patrol, officers were forced under the vehicle and trapped during the initial impact.

“One officer was stationed in a patrol car outside the scene of the accident and two other officers were attending to the scene when a passing vehicle entered the scene. Both officers at the original crash scene were struck and forced under the original crash vehicle,” CSP officials said in a news release Thursday morning.

Dunn died at the scene of the accident.

Geer “drove in a manner that was unsafe on an already unsafe day,” Jeffco Assistant District Attorney Alexa Visscher said at Thursday morning’s hearing.

Geer told police he had drunk a 16-ounce beer at a local brewery on Wednesday before the collision at the scene of the accident on icy roads, defense attorney Lindsay Stone said at the hearing.

“This accident could have happened to anyone…” Stone said, noting that the previous accident had just occurred and “there was no device that would have warned him of this accident.”

There were no blood alcohol test results available Thursday morning.

Harvey called Dunn “an amazing human being” who “had a long, distinguished career in the military, where he flew Blackhawk helicopters and served as a commander.” He leaves behind his wife, two siblings and parents. Grusing was taken to a hospital.

Paul Johnson, president of the Colorado School of Mines, issued a statement saying, “The Mines community is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of a Golden police officer yesterday and the injuries of a second officer while responding to an accident Colorado 58 responded. The officers, their families, their colleagues in the Golden Police Department and everyone else most impacted by this devastating event are in our thoughts and prayers. We grieve with them today, we pray for the injured officer’s recovery and we will look for ways to offer support during this incredibly difficult time.”

Gov. Jared Polis ordered flags to be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on the day of Dunn’s memorial service, which has not yet been scheduled.

“I am deeply saddened by the loss of Officer Dunn and my thoughts are with his family and friends at the Golden Police Department. We also hope for a speedy recovery of the officer injured in this incident. Our law enforcement officers put themselves in harm’s way every day to protect the people of Colorado, and that’s exactly what Officer Dunn and his partner, Officer Bethany Grusing, did. We are grateful for their service and commitment to keeping Coloradans safe,” Polis said.

The Golden Police Department has set up a Colorado Fallen fundraising website at t.co/Yo6Vouyi1g to help Dunn’s family.

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Originally published: November 7, 2024 at 11:08 a.m. MST