A 54-year-old sergeant with the Colorado State Patrol, employed by the agency since July 1998, was arrested by Firestone police on August 20 at 2:28 p.m. and booked into the Weld County Jail at 3:43 p.m. Sergeant Ryan Holmes was charged with second-degree assault with aggravated family strangulation, according to court records, following an investigation into reported off-duty conduct.
The Firestone Police Department notified the Colorado State Patrol of a warrant charging one of its members with an off-duty crime, and the agency confirmed the arrest in a news release described by the Denver Gazette. The state patrol characterized the allegations as serious and said its mission depends on maintaining public trust and safety. Holmes was placed on administrative leave after his arrest, and the agency said it is deferring the case entirely to the Weld County District Attorney's Office and judicial system.
Additional booking details, including Holmes' exact arrest and booking times, were reported by SECO News. In its own statement posted August 20, the Firestone Police Department said its investigation stemmed from information reported directly to the department, but that it would not release further details while the Weld County District Attorney's Office prosecutes the case.
Court Dates Loom in Weld County
Holmes appeared in court Friday and is scheduled to appear again at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday for an advisement hearing, per the Gazette's report. A separate hearing is set for 8:30 a.m. on September 3, when Holmes must address compliance with domestic-violence firearm-relinquishment requirements. The Weld County District Attorney's Office had not responded to a request for the arrest affidavit as of the article's publication, leaving key details of the underlying allegations undisclosed.
Those hearings will unfold inside Weld County's 19th Judicial District, which runs a dedicated Domestic Violence Fast Track program designed to secure immediate victim consultation and enforce mandatory no-contact bond conditions at initial advisement hearings in Greeley, according to Weld County Government records. The firearm-relinquishment hearing traces back to Colorado statutes requiring anyone charged with a domestic violence offense involving physical force or threats to surrender all firearms and ammunition within strict court-imposed deadlines, per Justia Law.
What the Charge Carries Under Colorado Law
Second-degree assault involving strangulation is classified under Colorado law as an extraordinary risk Class 4 felony, a designation reflecting the high likelihood of fatal outcomes in domestic disputes. Justia Law notes the charge carries a potential state prison sentence of two to eight years, mandatory three-year parole, and fines that can reach $500,000. Colorado is also a mandatory arrest state, meaning peace officers are legally required to arrest a suspect without delay once probable cause for a domestic violence offense exists, which automatically triggers a protection order barring contact with the alleged victim, according to FindLaw.
Beyond the criminal proceedings, Holmes faces potential consequences to his law enforcement career. Colorado's Peace Officer Standards and Training Board is required to automatically revoke the certification of any officer convicted of a felony, a rule that applies equally to formal convictions, deferred judgments, and deferred sentencing agreements, per Colorado POST.
A Second CSP Arrest in Two Months
Holmes' arrest comes just two months after another active Colorado State Patrol officer was booked on similarly serious allegations. Trooper Jeremiah Jon Patterson, 34, was arrested in Loveland in June on felony sexual assault and strangulation charges and placed on administrative leave following an investigation by Loveland police, as Hoodline reported at the time.
Public records also show Holmes was previously named, in his official capacity representing the Colorado State Patrol, as a co-defendant alongside another trooper in a civil lawsuit. The Colorado Court of Appeals affirmed in part the dismissal of that case, Sturgell v. Holmes, in a July 2024 opinion. As of publication, the Weld County District Attorney's Office had not released the arrest affidavit detailing the specific allegations against Holmes, and the bond conditions set during his advisement hearing remain to be seen.
