Colorado park ranger who stabbed himself in ‘elaborate hoax’ didn’t pass previous police training

The Colorado park ranger who agency officials say stabbed himself in an “elaborate hoax” last month previously washed out of police training after a multitude of poor evaluations, including on his ability to accept feedback and interact with the public.

Callum Heskett, 26, resigned in July 2024 when faced with termination from the Lafayette Police Department after only a month of training, a fraction of the required time, according to employment records.

During his brief stint at the police department, Heskett received low scores in nearly 90% of the training evaluation categories, his released personnel file shows.

Heskett failed to demonstrate “sufficient proficiency in critical areas needed to be a police officer,” Lafayette Police Chief Rick Bashor wrote in Heskett’s termination letter, citing the evaluations and feedback from training officers.

That termination letter was rescinded when Heskett elected to resign in lieu of termination on July 3, 2024, the day after it was signed by Bashor.

“Despite extensive training, guidance and support provided during your orientation and the training program, it has been determined that you have not met the required standards for the field training and evaluation program and the City of Lafayette Police Department standards of conduct,” Bashor wrote in the letter.

Police officers, including Heskett, are hired after multiple interviews, an integrity test, ride-along evaluations, a polygraph, a psychological evaluation, drug screenings, medical screenings and extensive background checks, city of Lafayette spokesperson Natalie Miller said in a statement.

“The department has a history of vetting and hiring very qualified applicants and is extremely selective about who they will hire as police officers,” Miller stated.

Heskett was hired and entered the police academy in October 2023, according to a signed oath of office released by the police department. He graduated in June 2024 and entered his first phase of field training.

New police officers are required to complete a minimum of 25 weeks, or nearly six months, according to the Lafayette Police Department’s policy manual. Heskett only lasted a month.

Throughout the program, Lafayette’s field training officers complete daily observation reports on trainees, rating them on a scale of one to five in various categories.

Heskett routinely received low scores, averaging less than three, in 27 of 31 categories. Those included his attitude, relationships with members of the public and fellow officers, knowledge of statutes and procedures, report writing, investigative ability, officer safety and general field performance, according to his observation reports.

He received some of his worst scores for his ability to accept feedback, interviews and interrogations, being able to listen to and comprehend police radio chatter and performance under stress, according to the documents.

Heskett was hired as a seasonal Colorado Parks and Wildlife ranger in March, roughly eight months after resigning from Lafayette. He was assigned to Staunton State Park in May.

On Aug. 19, Heskett radioed for help inside the state park, claiming to have been stabbed in a “targeted attack.” He told investigators that a man had tackled him, grabbed his pocket knife and stabbed him while cursing the police, according to his arrest affidavit.

Jefferson County sheriff’s officials later said Heskett had fabricated the suspect and stabbed himself. His employment was terminated by Colorado Parks and Wildlife on Aug. 22, according to a statement from the agency.

“The temporary employee did not meet the standards of CPW or the public’s expectations of state employees,” state wildlife officials said in the statement.

Before joining the police department in June 2024, he worked in various medical positions, including as an EMT, medical assistant, neuroscience research assistant and anesthesia technician, according to his Lafayette job application. He also cited “expert knowledge of trauma care” as a skill on the application.