Loveland police Sgt. Justin Chase misses court hearing, could face arrest
Saja Hindi
Loveland police Sgt. Justin Chase has 24 hours to show up in front of Eighth Judicial District Judge Mary Joan Berenato before a warrant is issued for his arrest.
Chase was set to appear for a pre-trial readiness conference Monday afternoon prior to his trial scheduled for next week on allegations of excessive use of force.
He is on administrative leave from the Loveland Police Department and faces charges of misdemeanor third-degree assault and harassment.
The case stems from an incident that occurred Nov. 5, 2016, in which police shot Timothy Jarrett with a Taser, allegedly while he was handcuffed, as officers attempted to subdue and arrest him following a dispute outside a Loveland bar, according to court records.
Chase pleaded not guilty to the charges June 20.
But on Monday afternoon, although Chase's attorney attended the hearing, Chase could not be located.
"I cannot state what's happening with Mr. Chase today. There has to be something going on, but that's not been made clear to me," said Reid Elkus, his attorney.
Elkus said it would have to have been an emergency situation because Chase has attended each of his court dates and it's "truly outside of his character."
More:Fort Collins police chief on why police shootings are on rise
Though the judge said she could vacate the trial and issue a warrant for Chase's arrest, both defense and prosecution attorneys asked that the trial remain on schedule.
However, the attorneys disagreed about whether a warrant should be issued immediately or if the judge could issue a stay to halt the process on the warrant for 24 hours.
Deputy District Attorney Shaun Reinhart implored the judge not to treat Chase differently than any other defendant, saying he "needs to be treated fairly and the same as everyone else." And therefore, a stay would not be appropriate, he said.
But Elkus said the stay would give him time to figure out what's going on with Chase and file a motion to quash any pending warrant.
Berenato ultimately decided to stay the warrant until 3 p.m. Tuesday with a $1,000 personal recognizance bond.
The three-day trial is scheduled for Nov. 14.
Reporter Saja Hindi covers public safety and local politics. You can follow her on Twitter @BySajaHindi or email her at shindi@coloradoan.com.
More:Sundance trying to change image after liquor license suspension