SAGUACHE COUNTY, CO – A Colorado State Patrol (CSP) investigation revealed that a trooper who used excessive force on a motorist in 2024 was later terminated for falsifying her Taser certification and training records.
The Roadside Encounter
The incident occurred on May 4, 2024, on Highway 285 in Saguache County. Trooper Amber Garcia pulled over motorist Travis Tomlinson after his SUV veered near a traffic stop she was conducting.
Dashboard and body-worn camera footage captured Tomlinson exiting his vehicle and walking toward Garcia. Following a brief verbal exchange where Tomlinson stated, “This is my ground,” Garcia deployed her Taser, striking him in the back without warning.
Excessive Force Allegations
Internal CSP records show Garcia activated her Taser seven times within 35 seconds. Investigators concluded that three to four of those deployments occurred after Tomlinson was already incapacitated and unable to comply with commands.
While Garcia admitted to pulling the trigger multiple times, local District Attorney Anne Kelly declined to file criminal charges against the trooper in December 2024, calling the use of force “justified” given the circumstances of the roadside stop. The initial charges against Tomlinson were dropped, though his attorney has since filed a federal lawsuit against Garcia for constitutional violations.
Falsified Training Logs Lead to Termination
Despite avoiding criminal charges for the incident, CSP officially terminated Garcia last year following a subsequent internal review.
An administrative investigation concluded that Garcia was neither certified nor authorized to carry the Taser used during the encounter. Investigators found that she had falsified her training logs to conceal that she missed her first-quarter 2024 training deadline.
CSP Major Brett Williams stated in a deposition that the termination was heavily based on “integrity and being untruthful,” adding that Garcia would not be considered for rehire. The Colorado Peace Officer Standards and Training Board now lists a credibility report for untruthfulness on her official record.
Controversial New Hire
Despite her termination from the State Patrol, Garcia was hired just two months later as an investigator for the same District Attorney’s office that declined to charge her.
DA Anne Kelly defended the hiring choice, calling the State Patrol’s internal investigation flawed and stating she has “absolutely no concerns” regarding Garcia’s credibility.
