Elon Musk called out Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) after a violent offender was released under a state law Polis himself signed—one the governor appeared unaware of when he tried to blame prosecutors for the release.
The controversy centers on 21-year-old Debisa Ephraim, a Tanzanian refugee who has repeatedly drawn the attention of law enforcement for unprovoked attacks.
Sheriff Steve Reams of Weld County warned residents last week after being required to set Ephraim free, despite violent charges including attempted second-degree murder and assault.
Video footage released by the sheriff showed Ephraim knocking men unconscious and continuing to beat them, even as bystanders screamed for him to stop.
Ephraim had been in jail since April, but evaluators ultimately ruled him incompetent to stand trial.
Under House Bill 24-1034, signed into law in 2024 by Polis, defendants deemed unrestorable within a reasonable timeframe cannot remain behind bars unless they qualify for specific mental health programs, according to CBS Colorado.
In this case, no such program was available, which left Reams with no choice but to release him.
“With that ruling, we are forced to release that individual,” the sheriff explained.
Reams stressed that the law has created a dangerous loophole, citing another case in Aurora where a registered sex offender was freed after being found incompetent, only to face allegations of attempting to abduct a child from a park.
“Someone is going to get hurt, and someone is gonna get hurt bad,” he warned.
The sheriff’s concerns caught Musk’s attention.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO reposted Reams’ video to X, calling the situation “insane” and tagging Polis directly.
The governor responded shortly after, describing the release as “absolutely unacceptable” and demanding that prosecutors use state statutes to contain Ephraim.
“This should have happened BEFORE release, not after. Remove this threat now!” he wrote.
Polis’s response immediately drew scrutiny.
A community note pointed out that it was Polis himself who had signed the very law forcing Ephraim’s release, suggesting the governor either overlooked or forgot his own role in creating the policy, The Western Journal highlights.
Critics online piled on, accusing him of trying to shift blame when the loophole originated with his signature.
Meanwhile, Weld County prosecutors confirmed they had exhausted every possible avenue to keep Ephraim detained, including attempts at further prosecution or commitment to a mental health facility.
None succeeded under the law’s framework, leaving officials to simply warn the public and hope for the best.
Reams said his hands are tied. Although Ephraim has a violent record, he was never convicted, which makes deportation impossible under federal standards.
During his time in the Weld County Jail, Ephraim was housed in the general population and interacted with inmates as though he were competent, further underscoring flaws in the system.
Sheriff Reams is now calling for legislative reform, describing House Bill 24-1034 as a “get out of jail free” card for offenders too dangerous to walk free yet shielded by incompetency rulings.
He has urged Polis to convene a special session to fix the law before another community suffers the consequences.
What began as a local public safety dispute has now drawn national attention.
Musk’s intervention has spotlighted how well-intentioned reforms can backfire, while Polis’s response has fueled accusations that Democratic leaders are failing to grasp the real-world impact of their policies—even ones they personally signed into law.
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