- A suspect in Colorado was left handcuffed in a police car that was struck by a train.
- Jordan Steinke was found guilty of reckless endangerment and assault in connection with the incident.
- During testimony, Steinke claimed that she did not notice the train tracks when handcuffing the suspect.
A police officer was convicted of reckless endangerment and assault after leaving a handcuffed woman inside a police car that was struck by a train.
Jordan Steinke, the first officer involved in the September 16, 2022, crash to stand trial, has been found guilty, according to the Associated Press. The crash resulted in serious injuries for Yareni Rios-Gonzalez.
A jury convicted Steinke of reckless endangerment and assault, but acquitted her of a charge of attempted manslaughter. Prosecutors also dropped an additional felony assault charge against Steinke in February.
The incident occurred when officers pulled over Rios-Gonzalez for a reported road rage incident involving a firearm in Fort Lumpton, Colorado. After stopping her car near train tracks, the officers placed her in their car, which was parked behind hers on the crossing.
“Placing a handcuffed person in the back of a patrol car parked on railroad tracks undoubtedly poses a significant and unjustifiable risk of harm from an oncoming train,” stated Judge Timothy Kerns during the court proceedings.
Kerns acknowledged that Steinke expressed shock and remorse for her actions and noted that he is not convinced she intentionally sought to harm Rios-Gonzalez.
Steinke testified that she did not see the train tracks on the ground when she was arresting Rios-Gonzalez, who was kneeling near the tracks after being ordered out of her pickup truck. When questioned about how she could have missed the tracks, Steinke explained that her focus was on the potential threat posed by Rios-Gonzalez.
“I never expected a train to come through my scene,” Steinke remarked during the court hearing.
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