Suspect charged in campus threat

LEADVILLE, COLO. – Feb. 14, 2017 – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Group (SOG) has a suspect in custody following a threat made to the Colorado Mountain College campus in Leadville.

Adam Slattery, who attended the college for one semester and was not enrolled this spring, has been charged with resisting arrest, menacing, criminal extortion and harassment.

In a press conference held at CMC Leadville today, Lake County Sheriff Rod Fenske explained that the suspect allegedly made threatening phone calls received by another Colorado Mountain College campus, at Spring Valley in Garfield County. That campus contacted the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office, which took all precautions to confirm that their local campus was not in any danger. That office then contacted the Lake County Sheriff’s Office SOG after concluding that the threat was actually directed at CMC’s Leadville campus.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office SOG located the suspect at the college’s Leadville campus and detained him. Students and employees were evacuated from several buildings and held in lockdown at the school’s cafeteria until the campus was swept by numerous agencies. Just before 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 13, Lake County law enforcement and the South Central Regional Bomb Squad cleared the campus of any threats and allowed students and employees to move freely on and off the campus.

Rachel Pokrandt, vice president and dean of Colorado Mountain College Leadville, was on campus all day Monday with students and staff. “It was a very long day, but I am so grateful that no one was injured and that law enforcement has a suspect in custody,” she said. Pokrandt pointed out that she, as well as multiple faculty and staff, were with students at all times in the cafeteria. The group was evacuated to what law enforcement determined to be the safest location, and was given hourly updates.

“Our sincerest gratitude goes out to the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, Leadville Police Department, Lake County Office of Emergency Management, Garfield County Sheriff’s Office, Buena Vista Department of Corrections personnel, South Central Region Bomb Squad (with two canines), Lake County Road and Bridge (Public Works), and Department of Parks and Wildlife, who worked together quickly, carefully and thoroughly on this emergency response,” said Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser, president and CEO of the college. “Because of our regular crisis response training, our campuses and central support did just what they needed to ensure the safety of students and support the work of law enforcement. A lockdown drill was practiced several months ago at this campus, and drills are routine at all of our campuses. I greatly appreciate the work of our Leadville campus and central services teams for their efforts in resolving this situation.”

“The safety of our students and employees was, and continues to be, of the greatest importance,” Pokrandt said. She added that mental health services have been made available to students, and that the campus is open after being closed all day Monday.