Andrew Sanders, 40, a former commander with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office in Colorado, has been sentenced to 60 days in jail and two years of probation after pleading guilty to driving under the influence and assault, Denver7 Investigates reported on November 11, 2026. The sentence came after newly obtained police body-camera video showed Sanders cursing at Parker police officers, spitting at an officer and being accused of trying to headbutt police during his arrest in February.
What the body-camera video shows
The footage, obtained exclusively by Denver7 Investigates, shows Sanders handcuffed to a hospital bed, repeatedly directing profanities at officers before spitting across the room. "Oh my God," one officer reacts in the video. When officers warn him about another charge, Sanders responds: "Really? I didn't f'ing hit her. I f'ing spit." "You just spit directly at her," an officer replies.
In another confrontation in the video, Sanders challenges officers to hit him. "Go ahead. Fg hit me," he says. "Stop trying to headbutt," an officer responds. Denver7 said the footage provides the first public look at the confrontation that Parker police had previously described in arrest documents.
The February arrest in Parker
Parker police arrested Sanders on February 7, 2026, after officers spotted his truck swerving and weaving between lanes near Bradbury Parkway and Hitching Post Circle in Parker, according to Denver7. The Parker Chronicle reported at the time that Sanders was driving southbound on Jordan Road, north of Mainstreet, when a Parker officer noticed his vehicle weaving between lanes.
According to the arrest affidavit cited by Denver7, Sanders had slurred speech and glassy eyes. He refused roadside sobriety tests, prompting police to obtain a warrant for a blood draw. During a recent court hearing, Denver7 learned that his blood alcohol level was 0.253, more than three times Colorado's legal driving limit of 0.08.
Fired within a week of the arrest
The Douglas County Sheriff's Office fired Sanders less than a week after his arrest, following an internal affairs investigation. He had served as a commander with the agency. The Parker Chronicle reported in February that he faced multiple charges, including driving under the influence, careless driving, obstructing a peace officer and third-degree assault involving a police officer. He was due in court on February 24.
District attorney calls the conduct "outrageous"
23rd Judicial District Attorney George Brauchler said the 60-day jail term was the maximum jail time the court could impose on the charge while still allowing probation. "Outrageous. This is outrageous conduct by anyone in this community," Brauchler told Denver7. "It is extra outrageous when it's done by someone who has put on the uniform of the person that he spit at."
Brauchler called it one of the three most troubling DUI cases of his career. "And then to find out that it's a commander with one of our highly respected, greatly trained law enforcement agencies, and you go, 'what the hell is going on here?'" he said. Sheriff Darren Weekly had previously described Sanders' conduct as deeply disappointing and disturbing, saying: "No one is above the law, regardless of rank, position or tenure."
Prosecutors say Sanders relapsed twice before sentencing
Sanders' problems with alcohol did not end with his February arrest, according to Denver7. During his sentencing hearing, prosecutors revealed Sanders had relapsed twice, once during the summer and again just one week before sentencing. Prosecutors told the court his family called 911 during the more recent incident, reporting that Sanders was intoxicated and they were afraid.
Why this matters for drivers
Colorado's 0.08 blood alcohol limit applies to every driver on the road, including people who drive for a living. For Punjabi truckers and other commercial drivers passing through the Denver area, a DUI conviction can put a livelihood at risk, and the Sanders case is a reminder that the law is applied the same way to the officers who enforce it. Brauchler said he was appreciative of the sentence "because I think the public needs to know we are a rule of law community down here, and nobody is above the law. Nobody."
What happens next
Denver7 Investigates said it is now taking questions directly to Sheriff Weekly about his former commander, the conduct captured on body camera and how his office handled the case, with more from its interview with Weekly in a follow-up report this week. Sanders' sentence of 60 days in jail and two years of probation now stands, and any further action would come through the court that imposed it.
What is solid
- Sanders pleaded guilty to DUI and assault and was sentenced to 60 days in jail and two years of probation.
- His blood alcohol level was 0.253, against Colorado's 0.08 limit.
- The Douglas County Sheriff's Office fired him less than a week after his February 7 arrest.
- Prosecutors told the sentencing court Sanders relapsed twice after the arrest.
What is only claimed
- Sanders says in the body-camera video that he spat at, but did not hit, the officer; the officer says he spat directly at her.
- The exact date of the sentencing hearing was not stated in the reporting reviewed for this story.