RTD Transit Police recognized by Boulder Police Department for immediate response in 2025 Pearl Street attack
Nine Transit Police officers recognized in pinning ceremony Don Jan. 20 for assisting in aftermath of Pearl Street attack in June 2025
The Boulder Police Department formally recognized RTD’s Transit Police (RTD-PD)officers in a pinning ceremony on Jan. 20for theirassistancein the immediate aftermath of theJune 1, 2025,Pearl Street attack.RTD deployed ninepolice officers, including three K-9 units, to assist the Boulder Police Department with the investigation of the incident.
RTD officers and K-9 handlersMichaelArroyoand Keith Cambra notedthat when the off-duty K-9 units arrived on the scene, they established the search perimeter with the Boulder SWAT team. “The K-9 units searched the entire perimeter and hundreds of surrounding cars, including the suspect’s vehicle,” to identify any further threats, said RTD officer and K-9 handler Corey Averill.
“At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what patch is on the side of our arm. We are all going to come out and assist the public, and that’s what’s needed,” said RTD Chief of Police and Emergency Management Steve Martingano of the assistanceRTD-PD provided to Boulder officers last year.
Transit Police officers who assisted with the investigation and were recognized by the Boulder Police Department are (pictured from left to right):officer Ghaith Hammed, officer Waylon Johnson, officer and K-9 handler Keith Cambra, officer and K-9 handler Michael Arroyo, officer and K-9 handler Corey Averill, Cpl. Joshua Hellweg, Sgt. Marcos Hernandez, Lt. Heidi Hansen, and Sgt. Joshua Martinez.
Boulder’s Chief of Police Stephen Redfearn thanked Martingano and Transit Police officers for quickly responding to the Boulder Police Department’s call for assistance to the large-scale critical incident.
“We wanted to honor those who responded, and not just people who responded to the scene as fast as they could, the people who came in from home, and the people who lived this after,” Redfearn said. “We developed a uniform pin and certificate to commemorate the day, to remember the victims, and as a badge of honor for those that immediately showed up to help.”
Redfearn noted that the pins given to responding officers were designed to representdifferent components from the Pearl Street incident: white triangles representthe victims of the attack, the blue triangle representsthe one victim who died, and pin’s colors represent the peaceful gathering that occurred that day and the collective grief. A group of triangles represent the community and officers coming together after the attack, with the star “representing excellence of the Boulder PD members aspiring to be a guiding light in dark times and demonstrating the achievement in serving and protecting community members,”said Redfearn.
Martingano noted the Transit Police is equipped to assist partner agencies with emergency support given its growth from five officers when he began with the agency 10 years ago to 105 sworn officers as of January 2026.
The Boulder Police Department distributed 272 pins to sworn officers and professional staff members for their response on June 1, 2025, and in the days that followed.