DA concludes officer involved Thanksgiving Day shooting justified

by Mark Reaman

The Seventh Judicial District has released a report on the fatal shooting that took place on Highway 135 just south of Crested Butte on Thanksgiving Day, 2018. District attorney Dan Hotsenpiller has concluded the shooting of Patrick Langhoff by Colorado State Patrol Sergeant Josh Boden was justified and no charges will be filed.

“I find that Sgt. Boden’s use of force was justified under Colorado law, and that there is no justification or basis for filing criminal charges in this case,” Hotsenpiller wrote in his report to the Colorado State Patrol dated February 28.

The report goes into explicit of the circumstances of the volatile situation that took place the afternoon of November 22 that ended in Langhoff’s death and closed the highway for several hours. Witnesses and police officers at the scene all indicate that Langhoff became uncooperative and showed signs of apparently wanting to take his own life when it became apparent officers were going to test him for DUI. When he drew a gun while being questioned the situation escalated and officers responded with deadly force.

The report also recognized Mt. CrestedButte police officer Anthony Burton with courage at the scene for placing himself between Langhoff and Langhoff’s sister Mary Bromley who was accompanying Langhoff.

Look for more details of the report in the next issue of the Crested Butte News.