SHERIDAN, Colorado — The driver who injured a Sheridan police officer while fleeing from officers in 2015 was sentenced this week to 20 years in prison.
Arapahoe County Court Judge Ben Leutwyler sentenced Ismael Rayos, 30, after he pleaded guilty on Oct. 12 to one count of first-degree assault, threatening a peace officer, which is a Class 3 felony. Other counts were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
“Officers put their lives on the line every day when then swear to serve and protect,” said District Attorney John Kellner. “When they in turn are made victims, we have a responsibility to see that they get the same justice they seek for others.”
On April 26, 2015, Sheridan officers were called to a suspicious vehicle at a convenience store near West Oxford Avenue and South Federal Boulevard. They tried to speak with Rayos, who jumped in his car to flee, according to prosecutors.
As he took off in reverse with the door open, an officer was caught between the door and the body of the car. The officer was thrown to the ground. He was treated at a hospital for minor injuries and released, prosecutors said.
The crashed car was located in Denver; a .380 caliber handgun was found in the vehicle. The officer recovered from his injuries and is no longer with the Sheridan Police Department, the statement from the 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office said.
Police were initially unsuccessful in locating Rayos. But in 2019, Rayos was taken into custody in Mexico with the help of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Marshals Service. He was then charged in Arapahoe County, the District Attorney's office said.
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