Jeffco Sheriff's Office plans no further contact with Able Shepherd

As other law enforcement agencies are evaluating their relationships with tactical training organization Able Shepherd, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office has stated it plans no further contact with the group.

Able Shepherd, which is based in Centennial, protested at Castle Rock's PrideFest last month. Since then, Arapahoe Community College cut ties with the organization, and the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office recently prohibited the group from participating as a vendor at its Safety in Faith summit and said it has cut ties with the group.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office, though, seems to have left the door open to continue working with the group, saying it didn't have any plans currently.

The Jeffco Sheriff's Office hosted Jimmy Graham, Able Shepherd's founder and chief executive officer, as a speaker at its Aug. 3 Safety in Faith summit. JCSO spokesperson Jenny Fulton confirmed the office paid Graham for his time, as it has with other summit speakers in the past.

A committee of JCSO personnel, local faith partners and others organized the 2023 Safety in Faith summit, and one of the committee members recommended Graham as a dynamic speaker, Fulton said. He presented on "Developing a Safety Team Through Training," and JCSO sent him a thank you letter for his time, based on an Able Shepherd social media post.

Fulton confirmed JCSO doesn't plan to have any further contact with Graham or anyone else at Able Shepherd.

During Castle Rock PrideFest on Aug. 26, protesters delayed the start of a “G-rated” drag show at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. Approximately 75 men — wearing matching shirts reading “Stand To Protect Children” — blocked the stage, postponing the beginning of the show by 30 minutes.

Able Shepherd was responsible for organizing the protest. According to emails obtained by Colorado Community Media, Able Shepherd’s organization of the protest included details all the way down to what time to arrive, talking points for the protest and the coordination of matching T-shirts.