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A Colorado police officer has died after falling off a 40-foot bridge during a carjacking pursuit earlier this month and being critically injured.
Fountain City Police Officer Julian Becerra, 35, died on February 11 at Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs. He was on life support for a week before dying.
According to a news release by the department, Becerra was involved in a pursuit of a carjacking suspect on February 2 when he fell off an overpass.
The pursuit began with a car chase involving Fountain City and Department of Corrections officers. Police were able to locate the suspects from Pueblo and disable their vehicle just south of Colorado Springs at around 8 p.m.
The chase ended with a foot pursuit on a bridge near the intersection of Interstate 25.
Tragically, Becerra fell off the 40-foot bridge and landed in a riverbed below.
According to officers, the driver even attempted to jump off the bridge, but officers were able to pull him to safety and take him into custody.
The driver and two passengers — identified by the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office as Devon Bobian, Danisha Pacheco and Anthony Vallejos — were ultimately arrested on warrants and on suspicion of felonies that occurred during the pursuit.
Becerra worked as a K-9 officer at the department for over four years. Funeral plans have not yet been announced.
“We appreciate the public’s outpouring of support over the past week for Officer Becerra, his family and the Fountain Police Department,” police spokesperson Lisa Schneider said in a statement on social media. “This is an evolving process, and the family is requesting privacy while they navigate the difficult task of planning for Julian’s final rest.”
Family, friends and law enforcement officers decorated Becerra’s police cruiser parked outside the department with candles, flowers and notes.
“Officer Becerra will never be forgotten,” community member Danielle Nordeem said. “He was with the Fountain Police Department for over four years and the community will never forget him. The community loved him, he did an amazing job. To the children, your father is not gone. He is watching over you and he will always be in your hearts.”
He is survived by his wife and two children.
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