The same day a man was sentenced in the first on-duty death in Golden Police Department history, the police chief went on leave.

Golden police announced that Chief Joe Harvey “temporarily” stepped away from the position on Jan. 21, according to a news release — the same day Stephen Geer was sentenced to 13 years in prison for the death of 33-year-old Ofc. Evan Dunn.

Deputy Chief Mike Hendershot will take over as the interim police chief, the department said. Hendershot has been with the GPD for over 18 years and in law enforcement for nearly 35 years, with more than 10 years in leadership roles.

“Police Department operations will continue as normal, and there will be no disruption to public safety services,” the department said. “The city remains confident in the professionalism and experience of the department’s leadership and staff.”

Harvey initiated the leave. GPD spokesperson Stephanie Sipes said that there is no timeline of his return and the department is unsure of his overall plans.

The chief has been in the role since 2023, drawing positive feedback from the community due to his transparency and community-focused nature.

“When a police officer does something wrong, he lets us sit on the board. He values our opinion in what we feel in the community and how we perceive it,” Sondra Welsh, a member of the department’s Community Engagement Group (CEG), told The Denver Gazette in 2024.

The leave came the same day as Harvey gave an impact statement in a Jefferson County District courtroom regarding the death of Dunn. In the statement, Harvey detailed how difficult the death had been, and continues to be, for the department.

“When my wife asked me what had happened, all I could do was cry,” he told the court. “I could tell it was bad and I felt helpless and scared.”

The incident occurred around 5 p.m. Nov. 6, 2024 when Geer — a former Colorado School of Mines mechanical engineering professor — crashed into a vehicle parked at another crash on Highway 58.

Dunn and his partner, Ofc. Bethany Grusing, were attending to the first crash.

Geer entered the scene in his Mazda CX9 and crashed into a vehicle, pinning Dunn and Grusing under a car for 35 minutes. Dunn was pronounced deceased at the scene and Grusing was taken to a nearby hospital with facial fractures.

“Their uniforms will forever be stained with the blood of their teammates,” Harvey said through tears. “All they could do was hold Evan’s hands, telling him it would be OK. Letting him know they were there.”

Harvey added that two officers had already left the department due to Dunn’s death, with three more who will likely leave the profession.

Geer was sentenced on one count of vehicular homicide and one count of vehicular assault.

Harvey did not mention anything regarding stepping away from the department at the hearing.