In a written response reflecting many points Stewart said during Mondays press conference, the department said it can not comment on specific cases and wants to be transparent and open in our work.. I was mad. Video shows Colorado police officers laughing over bodycam footage of I'm not talking to nobody.". Two officers Dunlap and Wood responded and spoke to the girl and young man, as well as other witnesses. A Loveland police officer violated department policy when he forcefully arrested a witness of a motorcycle crash for refusing to answer questions, the city announced in a news release last week. Keep it Clean. Its uncommon for the city to share information about internal investigations publicly, city manager Steve Adams said in the news release, but the city chose to in this instance to increase transparency. Loveland resident Pretson Sowl filed the lawsuit against the city of Loveland, Loveland Police Department and Loveland police officers Paul Ashe andBenjamin DeLima, Det. As for the claim of unlawful arrest, Varholak explained that the U.S. Supreme Court's decision inHeck v. Humphreyprevents criminal defendants from suing for monetary damages over unconstitutional imprisonment unless their conviction is overturned. The lawsuit alleged officers violated Sowl's constitutional rights when they arrested him for refusing to answer questions as a witness about a motorcycle crash outside a Loveland bar Sept. 22, 2019. By Keith Coffman. DENVER A consulting firm that the city of Loveland brought in to assess the Loveland Police Department last year amid several lawsuits filed over officers use of force in different cases is coming in to look at another case in which LPD officers are alleged to have used excessive force against a man, his teenage daughter, and their dog. This included slamming her body and limbs down into concrete multiples times, the lawsuit says. As we move forward on our accountability efforts launched in 2021, best practices in law enforcement will be maintained and we are committed to accountability if those standards are not upheld.. He called his daughter out of the house, and according to the lawsuit, Officer Wood started to arrest his daughter as soon as she admitted to slapping the 18-year-old, which the suit says went against LPD policy of not arresting children 14 and under unless they are believed to have committed a dangerous felony.. The suit claims that S.S. was arrested and charged with harassment, domestic violence, obstruction and resisting arrest while Siers was charged with obstructing a police officer and resisting arrest; the suit adds both sets of charges were eventually dismissed. Loveland Police Department, via The Life & Liberty Law Office. In fact, we already know that some of the allegations being made are inaccurate and do not describe the professionalism and respect shown by our officers to the individual involved. Body camera footage then shows an officer yanking Skippys collar and pulling him off the ground as Mr. Siers yells, Dont choke my dog!, Im not choking, the officer says. Skippy can be seen in the video trying to pull its way over to him. As Siers continued to try to get the dog, Sychla failed to put Siers into an arm hold and pushed him to the ground, then pushed him again, the suit says. Siers then can be seen complying with Sychla as he handcuffs him, but asks him to put the dogs away, stating he doesnt want the officers to shoot them. Karen Garner suffered a dislocated shoulder, fractured arm and sprained wrist after she was slammed to the ground and hogtied during a June 26 arrest, according to a federal lawsuit. The accident turned out to be a man losing his balance on his motorcycle and falling over. Sady Swanson covers public safety, criminal justice, Larimer County governmentand more throughout Northern Colorado. His two dogs Montana, a chihuahua, and Skippy, a Jack Russell terrier were on long leashes outside the house. The federal lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, alleged Sowls' First, Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments were violated, according to a news release fromSchielke. You have permission to edit this article. This includes several pictures of Facebook posts showing Gates or Hill being awarded for their DUI enforcement work. Support her work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today. Officer Paul Ashe detained Preston Sowl after Sowl refused to answer his questions about a motorcycle crash Sowl witnessed outside a Loveland bar Sept. 22, 2019. A Loveland law office has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Loveland Police Department and the officers involved in Garner's arrest after it allegedly caused a fractured and dislocated shoulder along with other injuries. The complaint adds that the LPD often posted about their victories in these absurd arrest competitions on social media, continually reaffirming to all Loveland police officers that DUI arrests are valued over all else, especially citizens constitutional rights., LPD has obtained hundreds of thousands of dollars of grant funding for themselves as a result of their DUI arrest numbers, the complaint said. The departments statement reiterated the outside review it will undergo will includes policies and procedures, overall strategy as well as status, outcomes and claims of current and recent enforcement efforts. The suit adds that, per LPD policy on handcuffing, people 14 or younger should not be restrained unless they are suspected of a dangerous felony.. The complaint also claims that around this time Hill and Ticer learned that some of Gates DUI arrests were wrongful arrests because blood and breath results were coming back showing people were not impaired. Loveland to pay $3 million to settle lawsuit from violent arrest of 73-year-old with dementia Julia Cardi julia.cardi@gazette.com On Wednesday evening, the Lakewood Police Department said it was aware of the lawsuit. Member subscribers also receive the weekly print edition of our award-winning newspaper, containing outstanding features and news stories, in their mailboxes every Saturday. The lawsuit also claims Wood and Dunlap unreasonably seized, committed a warrantless arrest against, and used excessive force against Siers daughter, who was not named in the complaint because she is a juvenile. The suit adds that the slap did not cause Hall injury or even leave a mark, with video showing him telling officers that it only stung. 'We Are Concerned': Loveland Police Chief Responds To Forceful Arrest Players given Kratom by Colorado coach, police say, Skier Shiffrin's quest for 86th win extended after downhill, 77 inches of snow fall at Colorado ski area in 9 days, City of Loveland chooses firm to conduct independent review after arrest of Karen Garner, Former Loveland officer faces assault charge, accused of writing inaccurate reports related to Karen Garner's arrest, Karen Garner's family feels more 'concern than relief' after charges announced against officers, Policy 1.02: Limits of Authority and Exercise of Discretion. Don't Threaten. The Loveland Reporter-Herald reports Preston Sowl claimed the officers violated his constitutional rights by detaining and injuring him after he declined to talk to them while at the scene of an accident in September 2019. The suit claims that during this, S.S. hit her head more than once, ultimately causing a concussion. Ashe arrested Sowl for obstruction of justice and resisting arrest, but the 8th Judicial District Attorney's Office dismissed the charges, according to the lawsuit. Sowl said he needed shoulder replacement surgery after the incident, according to the lawsuit. The city announced Tuesday it was again bringing in Jensen Hughes to review the latest incident, which happened on June 20, 2020, and involved a 14-year-old Loveland girl who was accused by police of domestic violence after she slapped her boyfriend, as well as the girls father, who was tased by an officer while trying to remove his dog from the scene. $300K seems really low given the cost of the medical treatment and pain and suffereing. Loveland Police Officer Resorts to Excessive Force She added that while she had tried to let Loveland settle the matter without taking it public, the city had declined. The video ends by pointing some blame at the elected officials in Loveland who have supported the LPD and its officers, including clips of previous and unrelated statements from Mayor Pro Tem Don Overcash and councilors Pat McFall and John Fogle. Colorado Portal and News | Denverok.com, Colorado Portal | News | Classifieds | Cars. Sowl said he needed shoulder replacement surgery after the incident. Mr. Siers said his daughter had nightmares for months. Two Loveland Police Officers Involved In - Colorado Public Radio Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. or anything. You are just minutes from Greenwood & Myers Mortuary is the first choice for many families when they are seeking funeral services in Boulder. "Mr. Talmadge was minding his own business, and did not pose a danger to himself or others," Talmadge wrote in his complaint. A Loveland police officer violated department policy when he forcefully arrested a witness of a motorcycle crash for refusing to answer questions, the city announced in a news release last week. The vast majority of cases named in the complaint also say the charges were dismissed. S.S. can be heard crying and yelling in the background. When Siers returned home from work that day, he saw several missed calls from the LPD and called them back, telling them he and his daughter were at their home; this led to the three officers named in the suit responding to the residence. LOVELAND, Colo. (AP) - An excessive force lawsuit filed against the city of Loveland and four of its police officers has been settled for $290,000. Use the 'Report' link on Following multiple pleas from Siers to put the dogs inside, Sychla can be seen approaching Skippy and picking him up by the leash and carrying him toward the door, dangling several feet above the ground by his neck. Be Nice. "The settlement ends the continuation of lengthy and expensive litigation, and resolution is deemed to be in the best interest of all parties,"Schielke said in the release. Colorado Supreme Court ruling makes more police internal investigations accessible. The dog was later taken to live with a family out of state because he became extremely aggressive with every stranger after the police encounter, according to the lawsuit. There was a problem saving your notification. Although Christopher Talmadge claimed that he was nonviolent and "minding his own business" when police reportedly slammed his head into his driveway, the city pointed to an affidavit the night of Talmadge's arrest indicating that he had assaulted his roommate and resisted officers. MORE COVERAGE:NISP opponents sue Larimer County commissioners over permit approval. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. A screen capture from body-worn camera video of Karen Garner's 2020 arrest and a portrait of Loveland Police Chief Bob Ticer. that is degrading to another person. With more equipment and more officers, they are able to make more arrests and then point to those arrest stats as proof of rising crime levels that they then proclaim requires more funding, equipment and officers to solve. According to the report of an internal. Sierss daughter tried to get to her dad, but officers continued to try to put her into handcuffs. Photo: Paul Zinken. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Schielke, of the Life and Liberty Law Office, filed the original complaint in January, claiming Fort Collins resident Harris Elias was wrongfully arrested by LPD officer William Gates in early 2020 for DUI. Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. Ashe twisted Sowls arm behind his back and pushed his face into the ground, according to a civil rights lawsuit. According to the Associated Press, Garcia said the settlement states the city and officers do not admit any guilt in this case. Want the real scoop? NISP opponents sue Larimer County commissioners over permit approval, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Federal judge tosses man's excessive force lawsuit against Loveland police, Appeals court finds police baton does not fall under law against disarming officers, Federal judge considers whether wrongful arrest in Aurora rises to constitutional violation, Judge allows lawsuit to proceed against Colorado Springs officer who tased son of congressional candidate, Federal judge refuses to halt lawsuit involving Loveland officer's shooting of pet dog, Polis signs Bradfield's prescriptive authority for psychologists bill | FOCUS ON THE SPRINGS, Colorado Senate Republicans tap their inner 'Mean Girls' | CAPITOL M. You know, I dont know quite what, but some kind of change. A Loveland, Colorado, police officer is on administrative leave and two other officers have been reassigned to administrative duties after a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging excessive use of . In that video, Sychla can be heard explaining to Siers why he used force, explaining he wasnt sure what the Siers intentions were. DENVER OK is your Colorado news, entertainment, music & fashion website. Lawsuits pile up at Loveland Police Department | FOX31 Denver Updated: 4:50 PM MDT June 15, 2022 LOVELAND, Colo. The City of Loveland announced Wednesday the independent review of the 2020 arrest of a 14-year-old girl and tasing of her father after a. Loveland police officer violated policy in arrest of motorcycle crash Most notably the department became the center of international attention when Schielke released information on the June 2020 arrest of Karen Garner, a case that resulted in a $3 million settlement from the city of Loveland and a five-year prison sentence for Garners arresting officer. With her amended complaint, Schielke also uploaded an edited video of Elias arrest from 2020 as well as the full three hours of bodycam footage. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, Eventually, Sychla deployed his Taser on Siers and continued to shock him for over five seconds, the lawsuit claims. Schielkeis alsorepresenting Karen Garner and her family in an ongoing civil rights lawsuit against Loveland police. The suit, filed in the 8th Judicial District Court on Wednesday morning, lists three claims for relief: unreasonable seizure and excessive force resulting in the abuse of their dog Skippy and wrongful arrest of Siers by Sychla; violation of due process and malicious prosecution of Siers by Sychla; and unreasonable seizure and excessive force with an arrest of S.S. by Wood and Dunlap. Dutka, an active duty military member, was driving a rental car and did not realize a headlight was out. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The lawsuit claims that a man and his 14-year-old daughter were arrested by officers who used excessive force during the encounter in 2020. arrested him for refusing to answer questions as a witness about a motorcycle crash outside a Loveland bar Sept. 22,2019. Something like "Redefine the Police" might have been better. Siers had his two dogs outside on leashes at the home, according to the suit. I've never been in a situation quite like that before, Siers said. I was scared. RM D5WCP3 - A police officer stops cars at a special checkpoint in Berlin, Germany, 09 April 2013. View this page in Standard (full site) format. DENVER, Sept 8 (Reuters) - The city of Loveland, Colorado, has agreed to pay $3 million to an elderly woman with dementia who suffered a dislocated shoulder and broken arm while . The incidents were initially reviewed and deemed appropriate at the time of the event, but the city is taking a second outside look at the incident in our efforts to ensure we are policing in a respectful and proper manner, City Manager Steve Adams said in the release.