Shane French, who was arrested in May on suspicion of menacing with a deadly weapon and assault on a peace officer, reportedly refused to attend his preliminary hearing in Montezuma County District Court on Tuesday, leading to a continuance.
Though French is being held at the Montezuma County Detention Center, he did not appear for his preliminary hearing, something his lawyer said was a conscious decision. Chief Judge Todd Plewe put the hearing on a recess until French decided if he would go to the courthouse.
About 30 minutes later, Plewe was informed that French would not attend, thereby waiving his right to a preliminary hearing. A witness was also present at the hearing.
Though Plewe said he didn’t “want to do this again,” he put a continuance on the preliminary hearing, setting it out to Aug. 12 at 2 p.m. Plewe noted, however, that if French did not show up on that date, he would be officially waiving his right to a preliminary hearing, and his case would be set for arraignment.
On May 29, officers responded to a call at 7:31 p.m. at a residence on Texas Street, where French was reportedly involved in a disturbance. Upon arrival, officer Koltan Guttridge observed French running inside the home, with sounds of an argument coming from the living room. French’s mother, Patti French, informed police that her son had been upset and had broken a door the previous day.
French was then heard hitting a window and door, yelling, “Do you want to fight?” He then exited through the garage and reappeared on Empire Street, approaching officers while holding an open silver pocketknife. French allegedly shouted, “Want to get shot?”
Despite repeated commands to drop the knife, French kept the knife in his hand. He eventually went to the backyard and dropped the knife in the dirt. When Guttridge picked it up, he reportedly saw what appeared to be fresh blood on the blade.
French then held up a metal object, initially believed by officer Kadan Sharp to be a handgun. It was later identified by Patti French as a torch lighter. Shane French pointed the object at officers, simulating a firearm, and suggested that he wanted police to harm him.
A search and arrest warrant was obtained, and at 10:16 p.m., officers returned to serve it. Using keys provided by Patti French, police unlocked the front door, which French attempted to force closed and lock.
After forcing entry, Guttridge observed French holding a metal object resembling a gun. Using a ballistic shield, Guttridge charged French, knocking him to the ground and pinning him until other officers assisted in handcuffing him.
During the arrest, French reportedly pulled his arms close and attempted to roll over to prevent officers from gaining control. A search revealed a pipe commonly used for smoking meth, with white residue, in his pocket. The metal object was identified as a gun-shaped lighter. A second pipe, wrapped in plastic, was found during a hospital medical evaluation.
A search of the residence uncovered additional pipes and plastic bags with suspected meth. French was arrested on suspicion of menacing with a deadly weapon, first-degree assault on a peace officer or firefighter, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and possession of drug paraphernalia.
In 2020, a jury convicted French of threatening his parole officer with a deadly weapon and was sentenced to three years in prison and two years of parole. Later that year, the Colorado Court of Appeals requested that the sentencing be reversed and remanded and a new trial be held after claims that French was protecting himself from someone he thought was a trespasser.
In 2014, he was charged with assault and resisting arrest, but a jury cleared him of all charges. French and his family filed a lawsuit for the arrest in 2016 against the city of Cortez and a number of the Cortez Police Department’s officers. The parties reached a settlement after the French family claimed that officers illegally entered their home without consent.
