A Colorado police officer, who was previously hailed as a hero for his actions during the 2012 Aurora movie theater shooting, is now facing serious allegations. It is alleged that he committed the heinous crimes of raping his own daughter when she was just 5 years old and physically abusing his son. Shockingly, while these accusations have come to light, the officer remains free, while the children’s mother is currently incarcerated due to an ongoing custody battle.
A man named Michael Hawkins, aged 55, has been charged with multiple felony counts related to the sexual assault of a child. Additionally, he faces a misdemeanor count for child abuse that is said to have occurred over a period of almost two decades, from 2002 to 2021.
According to court documents obtained by the Denver Gazette, he is facing accusations of molesting his ex-wife’s daughters and holding their eldest son underwater until he nearly lost consciousness in 2018. The boy believes this was in response to him catching the accused individual fondling one of the girls.
Pickrel-Hawkins currently has custody of their two youngest sons, aged 10 and 13. They are currently residing in a domestic violence shelter. However, Hawkins is actively working towards gaining custody of the children through a court-ordered reunification therapy program.
Despite the therapy’s goal of repairing the children’s relationship with their father, Pickrel-Hawkins has strongly objected to the sessions, describing them as forms of manipulation, psychological abuse, coercion, and gaslighting.
In July, a judge made a ruling stating that she was interfering, and subsequently ordered her to serve seven weekends behind bars starting from August 31st.
Meanwhile, Hawkins was released on GPS-monitored supervision after posting $50,000 bail.
His actions during the Aurora mass shooting, where 12 people were killed and 70 wounded, garnered significant attention.
Following the tragic incident, Hawkins provided testimony during the shooter’s trial, emotionally recounting the heartbreaking moment when he carried the lifeless body of a young girl from the theater.
Hawkins suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and eventually retired from the Aurora Police Department in 2018. According to the affidavit, he reportedly attributed all of his issues to the theater shooting.
According to investigators, the alleged rape of his daughter occurred in 2012, following his response to the movie theater shooting. However, Pickrel-Hawkins stated that there were preexisting issues.
Allegedly, the sexual abuse of his daughter persisted for years following the initial rape. Allegations have surfaced regarding the long-term sexual abuse suffered by the girls, whom he had adopted from his ex-wife.
Hawkins’ attorney, Christopher Estoll, has stated that his client strongly denies the accusations and has been fully cooperative during the investigation, according to the Denver Post.
According to a court filing on Aug. 1, Estoll expressed doubts about the credibility of Pickrel-Hawkins as a witness, describing them as highly manipulative.
There have been previous accusations of violence against Hawkins.
In 2017, he and three other Aurora police officers faced accusations of police brutality. The allegations were made by a woman who claimed she was falsely charged with assaulting a police officer.
