Roll of Honor
Incident
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.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife and four children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-CO-D03F35A9- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
22 years. You could have gone home.
Captain DeFusco gave the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office 22 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Pueblo community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Captain DeFusco.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Captain Leide William DeFusco is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,756 officers honored here.
In CO, 101 of 360 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 28.1% of this state's fallen. That is 28.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Pueblo County Sheriff's Office, 2 of 5 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 40% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Leide William DeFusco's cause is highlighted.
How Leide William DeFusco Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Leide William DeFusco is highlighted in Aug.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
4 officers from Pueblo County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
