Coroner Identifies Man Who Died During Deputy Arrest

GRAND JUNCTION, CO — The Mesa County Coroner’s Office has identified the man who died after becoming unresponsive while being detained by Mesa County Sheriff’s Office deputies early Saturday morning.

The deceased has been identified as Johnny Herrera, a 57-year-old resident of Grand Junction. According to a media release from the coroner dated August 25, 2026, Herrera was taken to a local hospital after becoming unresponsive during his arrest in the very early morning hours of August 22. He remained unresponsive at the hospital and was ultimately pronounced dead the next day. His autopsy has been completed, though the investigation into the cause and manner of his death is still continuing.

The incident began on August 22 at approximately 12:08 a.m. when deputies were dispatched to the area of 636 Sun King Way regarding a vandalism in progress. A reporting party stated an unknown adult male was damaging their vehicle. Deputies located a man matching the witnesses’ description. When deputies attempted to detain him, he became physically uncooperative, and after being detained, he became unresponsive. Deputies on the scene provided immediate medical aid, and medical personnel were dispatched to respond before he was transported to the hospital.

The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office activated the 21st Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) to investigate. Because Mesa County Sheriff’s Office personnel were involved, the Grand Junction Police Department is leading the independent investigation on behalf of CIRT. The investigation remains ongoing.

This article is related to a previous incident:

Suspect Hospitalized Following Altercation with Deputies

Disturbance, F 1/2 Rd & I-70B