COLORADO SPRINGS — A state parole officer in Colorado Springs was killed on Thursday afternoon in the result of a hit-and-run crash.
According to the Colorado Springs Police Department, two Colorado state parole officers were walking when they were struck near the intersection of North Spruce Street and West Bijou Street.
The driver who allegedly hit the two parole officers is in custody. The suspect is 41-year-old Justin Andrew Kula.
News5 looked into Kula’s criminal history and found he had been charged with numerous crimes in both Colorado and Texas.
According to documents from the Department of Public Safety, Kula has had a criminal record in Texas since 2000. From 2000 to 2018, Kula had 18 arrests in Texas. He was arrested as recently as 2018 in Texas, for a felony assault charge.
Colorado Court Record Search shows, since 2017, there have been 20 cases against Kula in Colorado. These include six criminal cases, in district court, that are classified as felonies.
Kula has also faced several misdemeanors for offenses such as harassment, theft, traffic and parole violations.
The first criminal case in Colorado dates back to 2017, when he was arrested for harassment and obscene language and possessing drug paraphernalia. In the same year, records show he was arrested again in Colorado on a “charges fugitive,” which means he had a felony case in another state.
Court records show Kula faced multiple charges in 2020, in Colorado.
In August of 2020, he was charged with felony menacing and extortion and later charged with assaulting two police officers.
He pleaded guilty to those charges in November of 2021 as well as a stalking charge. Kula was arrested for a stalking threat charge and an additional stalking causing emotional distress charge. Kula was sentenced to two to four years in prison.
Kula was also arrested for “control substance obtained by fraud/deceit.” This means Kula is accused of lying in order to get a controlled substance, like prescription drugs.
News5 has contacted and is waiting to hear back from the Department Of Corrections to find more information on if Kula physically spent any time in a Colorado prison before being put on parole.
In a press conference on Friday, Colorado Springs said they are currently pursuing multiple arrest warrants for Kula.
____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
