On a crisp November day in Colorado Springs, a life of service and faith was tragically cut short. Garrett Preston Russell Swasey, a 44-year-old male, was killed in the line of duty on November 27, 2015. A six-year veteran of the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Police Department, Swasey was a man known for his dedication to his community, both in uniform and as a co-pastor at his church.
He was a beloved husband to his wife, Rachel, and a father to their two young children, a son and a daughter. Beyond his roles as an officer and pastor, Swasey had a past as a champion competitive ice skater, having won a junior national title in 1992.
The day of his death began with reports of an active shooter at a local Planned Parenthood clinic shortly after 11:30 a.m. A gunman, armed with a rifle, had entered the facility and opened fire. Officer Swasey was among the first to respond to the call for help. In the ensuing chaos, he was fatally shot, one of three lives lost that day. Two civilians, Ke'Arre M. Stewart and Jennifer Markovsky, were also killed in the violent attack. The incident turned into a tense, five-hour standoff, during which the gunman exchanged fire with law enforcement. Ultimately, a SWAT team used an armored vehicle to breach the building, leading to the suspect's surrender.
The man taken into custody was identified as Robert Lewis Dear Jr. Following his arrest, Dear faced numerous charges, including first-degree murder. In court appearances, his motive became clear as he made repeated outbursts expressing anti-abortion views, calling himself a 'warrior for the babies.' Despite his courtroom confessions of guilt, the legal proceedings against Dear have been fraught with delays. He has been repeatedly deemed incompetent to stand trial due to a diagnosed delusional disorder. As a result, he has been held in a mental health facility, with ongoing legal battles over whether he can be forcibly medicated to potentially face trial in the future.
