Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO) came to a Wednesday House committee hearing on “anti-law enforcement rhetoric” with heat, saying Colorado policies passed by Democrats added fuel to the fire in the demonization of law enforcement and blaming political rhetoric for leading to the murder of a former police officer.
The committee hearing, titled “When Badges Become Targets: How Anti-Law Enforcement Rhetoric Fuels Violence Against Officers,” focused on violence against law enforcement, with Democrats mainly focusing on actions by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), cuts to law enforcement made by the Trump administration, and President Donald Trump’s pardon of those who attacked police officers at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. One of those officers who was attacked, Daniel Hodges, was a witness at the hearing.
Republicans mostly focused on comments made by their Democratic colleagues criticizing law enforcement and expressed support for actions by ICE.
Evans claimed recent state laws took the first steps toward “defunding law enforcement” and making police officers “guilty until proven innocent.” It was unclear which laws he was referring to. He also described having previously buried two of his police colleagues, saying one perpetrator was radicalized by anti-police rhetoric by elected leaders.
In 2025, Democratic Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO) signed various public safety laws, including one to implement Proposition 130, which allocates $350 million to local law enforcement agencies to better recruit, train, and retain officers and provide a $1 million death benefit to the family of a killed first responder.
Other bills included making theft of a firearm a class 6 felony regardless of the firearm’s value and increasing the penalties for careless driving.
Evans said that all his House colleagues voted to condemn the June murder of a Minnesota Democratic state representative, but 118 democrats did not vote to condemn the murder of Charlie Kirk.
Democrats universally condemned Kirk’s murder, but some objected to the House resolution, which stated that Kirk’s “commitment to civil discussion and debate stood as a model for young Americans across the political spectrum, and he worked tirelessly to promote unity without compromising on conviction.” Kirk was widely known for his divisive rhetoric, disparaging Martin Luther King, Jr., mocking LGBTQ people, and belittling others.
“When political rhetoric incites violence, it’s the cops who suffer,” Evans said. “Not only is it the cops who suffer, it’s the low-income and minority communities that suffer.”
He explained that crime has led to lost wages and economic activity, which impacts low-income minority communities. As an example, he said if a tradesworker has their vehicle stolen, the tradesworker cannot show up to work and then may lose their job.
Evans, who represents a swing House district north and east of Denver, also said sanctuary city-style policies have led to the illicit drugs within the state, drug overdoses, and cartels and criminals are running “willy nilly free” in communities.
Evans, a former police officer, asked one of the witnesses to speak to the “physical, mental, and moral injuries that cops suffer when law enforcement is villainized in the media and by elected leaders,” pointing out that cops, on average, suffer from heart attacks earlier in life compared to the average American.
National President of the Fraternal Order of Police Patrick Yoes answered that without resources to handle day-to-day experiences of law enforcement, it is difficult for cops to do their jobs. With that compounded by villainization, the job becomes more difficult, and he noted that more officers are lost to suicide than through police action.
“When we damage someone (who is protecting) communities, we have a moral and fiduciary responsibility to fix them,” Yoes said.
Evans’ bid for re-election next year is seen as one of the most competitive in the country.
