excessive force
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Lawyer’s failure to cite facts prompts 10th Circuit to toss excessive force case
The federal appeals court based in Colorado agreed last week that police officers from Littleton, Englewood and Denver cannot be held liable for killing one person and partially paralyzing another because the plaintiffs’ lawyer failed to cite any facts of the case while appealing a trial judge’s decision. During a late-night vehicle chase across multiple…
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Federal judge refuses to dismiss lawsuit of Highlands Ranch man attacked by police dog
A federal judge on Wednesday refused to dismiss a lawsuit against two Douglas County sheriff’s deputies whose dog bit the sleeping resident of a Highlands Ranch home as the result of an alleged misunderstanding about a burglary. Tyler Luethje sued Deputies Travis Kyle and Scott Kelly for excessive force, wrongful arrest and unlawful entry after…
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Federal judge presses Denver on police response to 2020 protests
A federal judge on Thursday heard arguments in the City and County of Denver’s attempt to end a set of legal claims against it stemming from the police response to 2020 protests, which injured eight participants and allegedly violated their constitutional rights. Multiple cases remain pending against Denver or individual police officers four years after…
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Divided 10th Circuit keeps ‘zombie’ claims alive against federal prison officials
The federal appeals court based in Denver rejected the appeal of prison officials accused of using excessive force against an incarcerated man, reasoning earlier this month that even if the U.S. Supreme Court’s precedent means the claims will ultimately fail, an immediate appeal was not the answer. The appeal from the Federal Bureau of Prisons…
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10th Circuit grants immunity to Aurora officers who killed machete-wielding man
The federal appeals court based in Denver ruled last week that four Aurora police officers committed no constitutional violation by shooting and killing a man with alleged mental illness who charged at them while holding a machete. Initially, a trial judge green-lit the excessive force case for trial after determining a jury could find the…
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Appeals court clarifies excessive force standards under new landmark Colorado law on policing
For the first time on Thursday, Colorado’s second-highest court clarified that the same standard federal courts use to evaluate excessive force claims applies to the landmark law on policing that state legislators passed in 2020. The General Assembly enacted Senate Bill 217, also known as the Enhance Law Enforcement Integrity Act, amid global demonstrations following the…
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Appeals court clarifies excessive force standards under new landmark Colorado law on policing
For the first time on Thursday, Colorado’s second-highest court clarified that the same standard federal courts use to evaluate excessive force claims applies to the landmark law on policing that state legislators passed in 2020. The General Assembly enacted Senate Bill 217, also known as the Enhance Law Enforcement Integrity Act, amid global demonstrations following the…
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Federal judge green-lights jury trial against Denver, officers for response during 2020 protests
A federal judge agreed last month that a jury will decide whether two Denver officers and the city itself should be liable for excessive force, First Amendment violations and other infringements on a man’s constitutional rights during the 2020 protests. After a Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd in May 2020, international demonstrations erupted, including in…
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Federal judge green-lights jury trial against Denver, officers for response during 2020 protests
A federal judge agreed last month that a jury will decide whether two Denver officers and the city itself should be liable for excessive force, First Amendment violations and other infringements on a man’s constitutional rights during the 2020 protests. After a Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd in May 2020, international demonstrations erupted, including in…
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Federal judge grants immunity to Westminster officer for shooting mentally ill man
A federal judge on Thursday concluded a Westminster police officer cannot be held liable for shooting and killing a man in an apparent mental health crisis. Birendra Thakuri’s mother filed suit against Officer Steven Bare and the city one year after her son’s death in August 2018, alleging Bare used excessive force or, alternatively, created…