On 03-26-25 at about 7:30PM law enforcement officers in the Salida area were dispatched to the 800 block of I Street in Salida, CO for a report of a domestic assault that was in progress. The reporting party warned that the suspect threatened he would kill officers if they came on scene. A Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office Deputy was the first to arrive on scene and was met in the roadway by a male party, later identified as Cory Pottebaum age 46 of Salida, CO.

As the Deputy exited his patrol vehicle Pottebaum began approaching him aggressively using loud foul language and threats. Despite the repeated verbal orders from the Deputy to back up, Pottebaum continued to approach striking the deputy and the two ended up on the ground in a struggle. As the deputy was trying to gain control, Pottebaum got his arm around the deputy’s throat in an apparent attempt to choke him. Pottebaum then made multiple attempts to pull the deputy’s firearm out of his holster. Several more deputies and Salida Police Officers arrived on scene and were able to take Pottebaum into custody.

A female victim in the home was treated for minor injuries on the scene. Pottebaum and the Deputy were treated for minor injuries at the Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center Emergency Room.

Pottebaum was then transported to the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center where he was held on no bond for the charges (charged by the Salida Police Department) of 3rd Degree Assault (Domestic Violence), Child Abuse, 2nd Degree Assault on a Police Officer and Criminal Attempt to Disarm a Police Officer. Pottebaum is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

“When someone is trying to choke you or take your sidearm as a police officer it becomes a fight for your life situation where lethal force is typically justified. I am glad their ground fighting training allowed the deputies to gain compliance of Pottebaum before they were forced to have to make that decision. This is another example of why we train so hard. Our training is meant to save lives, even the suspects if we can.” -Sheriff Andy Rohrich.