Duty Death: Taylor Thyfault - [Longmont]
End of Service: 23/05/2015
By Mitchell Byars
Daily Camera
LAFAYETTE, Colo. — For 21 miles along South Boulder Road on Friday, a line of police cars drove toward a giant American flag hanging over the street in a massive show of law enforcement support for a fallen comrade.
“It just goes to show, the blue line that we all represent, that we all are a part of; we are a family,” said Colorado State Patrol Trooper Josh Lewis. “When one of us goes down, it’s going to be felt across the board.”
About 3,000 people, including representatives of 88 different Colorado law enforcement agencies, gathered at Flatirons Community Church in Lafayette to honor and remember Colorado State Patrol Cadet Taylor Thyfault, who was killed when a car struck him in the line of duty May 23 near Longmont.
“The service was heartfelt and touching, and had its moments of sadness, reflection and laughter,” Lewis said.
Before the service, about 300 law enforcement vehicles held a procession, driving along Interstate 25 from Longmont to Lafayette. A large portion of them were squad cars from the State Patrol.
“Certainly at the Colorado State Patrol, we call ourselves a family, and you saw that here today,” Lewis said. “That’s something that is never going to change.”
Thyfault, 21, and Trooper Clinton Rushing, 37, were hit on Colo. 66 near Weld County Road 1 at about 8 a.m. May 23 following a police chase that originated in Weld County.
According to police, troopers were trying to apprehend Christopher Lee Gebers, 27, in Weld County when he reportedly fled in a 2002 Honda Civic.
Police allege Gebers — who is scheduled for a formal filing of charges Monday — plowed into the scene of a separate crash investigation.
Police said Rushing and Thyfault were assisting with the unrelated crash investigation and began deploying “stop sticks” in the road when they heard of the high-speed chase coming from Weld County.
The cadet and trooper were standing in between a tow truck and another vehicle when the Civic came skidding into the gap, striking the two men.
Rushing was critically injured and taken to a hospital, where he remains in critical but stable condition.
Thyfault died at the scene. Police said Thyfault’s last act was to shout out to a tow truck driver on the scene to get out of the way, and for that act of heroism Thyfault was promoted posthumously to the rank of trooper.
Kaylie Briggs, a high school classmate of Thyfault, said she was devastated when she heard of his death but was not surprised to hear he had helped save someone’s life.
“It was really hard to hear he had died,” Briggs said. “But I know if you asked him, he would have done it again. He died a hero.”
Briggs said the service was “beautiful,” and the speakers did a good job helping everyone remember Thyfault.
“They served him so much justice,” Briggs said. “He was such a good guy.”
Gebers — who was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder, attempted murder and several other charges — was ordered held without bond at a brief appearance at Boulder County District Court on Wednesday.
Copyright 2015 the Daily Camera