Pueblo County Sheriff's Office, Colorado
End of Watch: Friday, August 31, 2012
Age: 43
Tour of Duty: 22 years
Badge Number: Unit 7
Cause of Death: Aircraft accident
Date of Incident: August 31, 2012
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Captain Leide DeFusco was killed in an airplane crash as he and John Barger, a retired Pueblo Police Department captain, searched for marijuana grows in the Wet Mountains.
A narcotics task force had raided two large marijuana plantations in the area two weeks earlier. The two were searching for additional growths nearby when radio contact was lost at approximately 9:30 am. A rescue team located the smoldering wreckage of the Piper Super Cruiser in rugged terrain in the San Isabel National Forest, approximately five miles below St. Charles Peak, in Custer County.
Mr. Barger was an experienced pilot who provided flight services to local law enforcement agencies.
Captain DeFusco had served in law enforcement for a total of 22 years, serving with the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office and previously served with the Pueblo Police Department. He is survived by his wife and four children.