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Our mission is to reverse the trend of mass incarceration in Colorado. We are a coalition of nearly 7,000 individual members and over 100 faith and community organizations who have united to stop perpetual prison expansion in Colorado through policy and sentence reform.

Our chief areas of interest include drug policy reform, women in prison, racial injustice, the impact of incarceration on children and families, the problems associated with re-entry and stopping the practice of using private prisons in our state.

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Saturday, March 21, 2009

Teen Suicide After Questioning By Police

The Denver Post


FOUNTAIN — Parents of an El Paso County teen who killed himself after police questioned him in a vandalism case are asking whether the officer involved was too harsh on the boy.
The 16-year-old boy, Aaron A. Edmiston, shot himself Wednesday. In a suicide note, the boy apologized for vandalizing two cars with friends earlier in the week.
The other boys and Edmiston's father, Robert Edmiston, told The (Colorado Springs) Gazette that the suicide came after tough questioning from El Paso County sheriff's deputy Mike Kossman.
Family and friends say Edmiston feared his life was ruined after Kossman went to the boy's house. A junior at Mesa Ridge High School in Fountain, Edmiston was planning to attend the University of Oklahoma on a military scholarship.
"I think he was just scared over what would happen to him. There must have been a feeling this would ruin our lives," one of the other suspects, 18-year-old Frank Cifaldi, told the newspaper.
Cifaldi said that the questioning by Kossman was intense, although he was questioned separately from Edmiston.
Kossman lost his temper and shouted obscenities, Cifaldi said.
"He said, 'Stop playing (expletive) stupid with me and tell me the truth,'" said Cifaldi. Kossman was questioning the boys in the egging of two cars on Monday night. A Volkswagen Jetta had a window broken out.
In the suicide note, Edmiston apologized for "what happened Monday night" and said that no matter what, Cifaldi and the other suspect in the vandalism were good kids.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

We need to ask why we give uniforms, badges and guns to such insensitive, ignorant, arrogant jerks; and how we can begin to hire more police who won't think a couple of egged cars are the end of the world. The Denver cop nearly killed the Vasquez kid because he thought he was drinking alcohol. And this boy is dead. Come on sheeple, time to take a stand against this insanity.

Anonymous said...

The people need to speak. How about the Denver cop who shot and killed the man he stopped for speeding? Of course DA Morrissey,(who thinks he is god) says the cop did nothing wrong?? I think we need to demand the grand jury system be at least three people making these decisions. If the speeder had no weapon on him that cop should be charged with murder.
Also in the suicide case, why wasnt a parent or an attorney present when the cop questioned the boy?? He also could be charged with 2nd degree murder couldnt he?? djw

Anonymous said...

How can we take a stand against these idiots when idiots are in charge and control.I can just see one trying to file a complaint with a moron like DA Morrissey,(who thinks he is god). Not to be redundant here. BUT>>>why wasnt a parent or an attorney present when the cop questioned the boy?
Smokey

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Anonymous said...

I miss you Aaron...