A
Colorado Springs police officer arrested on suspicion of theft and forgery last
month had a 30-year career that was filled with commendations and stellar job
performance reviews, according to his personnel file.
James
'Angelo' Butierres, who joined the force in February 1983, was also honored at
the department's 27th Annual Medal of Valor Luncheon in November 2012.
Butierres
was one of three Colorado Springs police officers given the Distinguished
Service Award at the event. Butierres earned it for his participation in a Feb.
28, 2012 standoff at Urological Associates on Printers Parkway in central
Colorado Springs.
During
the standoff, a man took several people hostage and four women hid in the
building. Police were able to save the hostages and shoot the gunman, who later
died from his wounds at Memorial Hospital Central.
A
letter from police Cmdr. Brian Grady announcing the award said Butierres
'immediately confronted an armed gunman ... preventing the suspect from finding
innocent people hiding in a file room just feet away from him. '
Butierres
also received several performance reviews that ranked him as 'superior ' in
almost every aspect of his job, according to documents obtained by The Gazette
under Colorado's Open Records Act. The file had letters of thanks from many
organizations around the Colorado Springs area, including the 4th Judicial
District Attorney's office.
He
achieved the rank of sergeant in April 2004.
Butierres
was placed on administrative leave on April 25 after his arrest. Court
documents showed that the sergeant admitted on April 23 that he had 'submitted
time worked for hours that he had not actually worked. '
The
court records say that Butierres falsely logged almost $2,500 worth of working
hours and grant-funded hours. A GPS tracker in his work vehicle showed segments
of several hours when the vehicle it didn't move and was sometimes parked in
Butierres' driveway, court papers said.
The
accusations are being investigated by the DA's office.
Butierres
has been on paid administrative leave since April 25. He was provided an
attorney by the Police Protective Association and had an advisement hearing
Wednesday. His next appearance in 4th Judicial District Court is scheduled for
May 9