Sheri , family remember Heath Gumm

Police remember deputy on fifth anniversary of his shooting

BY SCOTT TAYLOR STAYLOR@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Family members and rst responders lled the plaza outside of the Adams County sheri ’s department o ces in Brighton Jan. 24 to memorialize one of their own who died ve years ago.

“Detective Heath Gumm made the ultimate sacri ce,” Adams County Sheri Gene Claps said at the veyear anniversary memorial ceremony. “It takes a very special individual to perform these duties of law enforcement o cer, to answer the calls for helps and stand in harm’s way to protect our community. Each year we re ect and grieve the loss of Detective Heath Gumm. Heath’s memory lives on and will never be forgotten.”

Gumm was 31 in January 2018 when he joined other deputies responding to a report of an assault in progress at about 87th and Dawson in unincorporated Adams County. e deputies searched the area, making contact with a man who ed, leading the chase behind a house in the neighborhood. Gumm was chasing the man, who turned, drew a weapon and red, striking Gumm in the chest and killing him.

Dreion Dearing, then 22, was later convicted of killing Gumm.

But the 2023 ceremony marking the fth anniversary of the shooting had little to do with the shooting itself. Instead, Sheri Claps, former Sheri Mike McIntosh, prosecutor Jess Redman and Gumm’s father Jim thanked the o cer for what he did, extending that gratitude to others police o cers and deputies.

“I went through many di erent thoughts in my mind while trying to come up with this speech, but most of them ended up being sad and depressing. But I knew there would already be too much sadness and too many tears today,” Jim Gumm said. “So I started thinking about what Heath would want. He would not everyone being down today. He would want you to ll your thoughts with his memories and happy stories.”

Gumm had earned a reputation as a playful prankster and friend, something his father noted.

“He was the smartest person I have ever known and I believe that’s what gave him the amazing ability to come up with the most inappropriate comments at the most inappropriate times,” Jim Gumm said. “And I’m sure right now that all of you have one of those inappropriate comments in your minds.” e memorial ceremony was bracketed with music, a Tom Petty playlist to open the memorial and the bagpipe dirge of “Amazing Grace” to close it.

Former Adams County Sheri Mike McIntosh, now wearing his uniform as a Douglas County Chief Deputy, said he can no longer listen to one Tom Petty song, “I Wont Back Down,” without thinking of Gumm. e song was playing nearly ve years ago as the pallbearers carried Gumm’s casket into Lafayette church for the former deputy’s funeral.

“I can’t hear that song anymore without thinking about Heath and thinking about the sacri ce he made and the fact that he didn’t back down,” McIntosh said. “He went into the face of danger not knowing what the outcome was going to be. He stood his ground and he didn’t back down.” e memorial service was also shown live on the Adams County Sheri ’s Facebook page.