Colorado § 24-31-901 - Definitions.

§ 24-31-901. Definitions.

As used in this part 9, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) "Contact" means an in-person interaction with an individual, whether or not the person is in a motor vehicle, initiated by a peace officer, whether consensual or nonconsensual, for the purpose of enforcing the law or investigating possible violations of the law. "Contact" does not include routine interactions with the public at the point of entry or exit from a controlled area; a non-investigatory and consensual interaction with a member of the public, initiated by a member of the public, unless and until the interaction progresses into an investigation of a possible violation of the law; a motorist assist; undercover interactions; or routine interactions with persons detained in a jail or detention facility.

(1.5) "Decedent" means a person whose death is caused by a peace officer's use of force.

(1.7) "Decedent's immediate family" means the spouse, a child by birth or adoption, a stepchild, the parent, the stepparent, a sibling, a legal guardian, a significant other, or a lawful representative of the decedent.

(2) "Demographic information" means race, ethnicity, sex, and approximate age.

(2.5) "Exonerated" means dismissal of charges by the court or appropriate prosecutor or a not guilty verdict in a criminal prosecution, a finding of no liability in a civil action, a finding of no culpability or no liability or similar determination in an administrative proceeding, or a finding of not sustained in an internal investigation; except that a finding of no culpability or no liability in an administrative proceeding or a finding of not sustained in an internal investigation does not mean "exonerated" if the officer is found guilty in a subsequent criminal prosecution for the same conduct or found liable for the same conduct in a civil action.

(2.8) "Lawful representative" means a person who is designated by a decedent or appointed by the court to act in the best interests of the decedent.

(3) "Peace officer" means any person employed by a political subdivision of the state required to be certified by the P.O.S.T. board pursuant to section 16-2.5-102, a Colorado state patrol officer as described in section 16-2.5-114, and any noncertified deputy sheriff as described in section 16-2.5-103 (2).

(4) "Physical force" means the application of physical techniques or tactics, chemical agents, or weapons to another person.

(4.5) "P.O.S.T. board" means the peace officers standards and training board created in section 24-31-302.

(5) "Serious bodily injury" has the same meaning as in section 18-1-901 (3)(p).

(5.5) "Significant other" means a person who is in a family-type living arrangement with a decedent and who would constitute a spouse of the decedent if the decedent and the person were married.

(6) "Tamper" means to intentionally damage, disable, dislodge, or obstruct the sight or sound or otherwise impair functionality of the body-worn camera or to intentionally damage, delete, or fail to upload some or all portions of the video and audio.

(7) "Weapon" means a firearm, long gun, taser, baton, nun chucks, or projectile.

Source: L. 2020: Entire part added, (SB 20-217), ch. 110, p. 445, § 2, effective June 19. L. 2021: (1) amended and (2.5), (4.5), and (7) added, (HB 21-1250), ch. 458, p. 3054, § 1, effective July 6. L. 2026: (1.5), (1.7), (2.8), and (5.5) added, (SB 26-190), ch. 337, p. 2047, § 2, effective June 3.

Cross references: For the legislative declaration in SB 26-190, see section 1 of chapter 337, Session Laws of Colorado 2026.