A Pueblo man tied to a November high-speed chase that ended in an officer-involved shooting was sentenced Thursday to 18 months of probation after pleading guilty to vehicular eluding. Pueblo County Sheriff David Lucero said the suspect fired at deputies during the pursuit, and the outcome has drawn sharp criticism from law enforcement and former prosecutors. The 10th Judicial District Attorney’s Office says it is undertaking an internal review of the plea deal and the processes that led to the sentence.
Plea and sentence
Michael J. Trujillo, 25, pleaded guilty to a single felony count of vehicular eluding as part of a plea agreement, with several motor-vehicle-theft counts dismissed and Judge William Alexander imposed 18 months of probation. Court filings and reporting show the plea did not include charges tied to the alleged shooting during the pursuit, which has prompted questions about why more serious counts were not brought.
Sheriff's reaction
Pueblo County Sheriff David Lucero called the result “disheartening” and wrote that the plea and sentence “raise real concerns about how serious crimes of this magnitude are being addressed in Pueblo,” arguing officers and the public were put at risk during the chase, as reported by KRDO. Lucero said deputies, state troopers and Monument officers who responded deserve a justice process that reflects the danger they faced.
DA response and statutory penalties
The 10th Judicial District Attorney’s Office acknowledged the sentence and said it is undertaking an internal review of the plea and the office's processes, noting that the probation term was imposed by the judge and that a class-5 felony can carry up to three years of incarceration under Colorado law, as reported by CBS News. The office also said the critical-incident investigation by the 10th Judicial Critical Incident Response Team remains under review and could affect next steps.
Legal questions
Former deputy district attorney Eric Faddis told reporters he was “kind of shocked” by the disposition and said he would have expected prosecutors to at least consider charges such as attempted first-degree assault on a peace officer or attempted murder, remarks that raise questions about mitigation, evidentiary issues or negotiation strategy, according to KKTV. Faddis also warned that because a plea was entered, double-jeopardy concerns could limit any future criminal filings tied to the same facts.
The November pursuit
The chase began after a truck was reported stolen in Monument on Nov. 4 and tracked south on I-25 into Pueblo County before ending when the vehicle stalled near N. Purcell Boulevard and Fairbanks Drive in Pueblo West. A Monument officer who followed the truck returned fire and the suspect was airlifted to a Colorado Springs hospital, according to the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office. For earlier local coverage and context, see Hoodline’s reporting on the original high-speed chase.
The DA's internal review and the ongoing critical-incident probe mean the legal picture could still change, but for now the plea and probation are the formal result. The sentence has sparked renewed debate locally about when prosecutors accept plea deals in cases that involve officer-involved shootings, and officials from multiple news outlets have continued to press for clarity on how the case was resolved, as reported by KOAA.
