ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. — A 23-year-old man pleaded not guilty during an arraignment Monday for charges of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Adams County Deputy Heath Gumm.
Gumm, who was 31 at the time, was shot and killed on Jan. 24, 2018 while searching for a suspect related to an assault call.
Dreion Dearing was arrested at the scene, according to the Adams County Sheriff's Office.
Dearing is charged with:
- First-degree murder of a peace officer after deliberation (F1)
- First-degree felony murder of a peace officer (F1)
- First-degree murder after deliberation (F1)
- First-degree felony murder (F1)
- First-degree burglary (F3)
- Possession of a weapon by a previous offender (F5)
- Third-degree assault (M1)
Dearing's trial is set to begin Sept. 3. His next court date is April 12.
The 17th Judicial District Attorney's Office announced in November that it would seek the death penalty against Dearing.
Deputies received a call about an assault on Jan. 24, 2018 at about 7 p.m. and responded to a neighborhood just east of Interstate 25 and 88th Avenue. When they arrived, the Sheriff's Office said a suspect matching the description they'd received ran from them.
That suspect then turned and fired on them, hitting Gumm in the chest, the Sheriff's Office said. Gumm was transported to a local hospital and pronounced dead later shortly after he arrived.
Gumm had been an Adams County deputy since 2012. He is survived by his wife, Natasha Gumm.
