loveland police lawsuit motorcycle loveland police lawsuit motorcycle

Talmadge allegedly told responding officers what had happened and they left. Our interviews with LPD staff revealed that they would like to be more involved with community members and community organizations, but do not have time to engage in these activities or problem solving because of the Departments emphasis on its data-driven strategies and the need to produce daily numbers of enforcement actions, the complaint quotes from the report. The citys statement that it was hiring the consulting firm came after attorney Sarah Schielke filed a lawsuit against the city over the ordeal involving the girl, her father and their dog. I was scared. Schielke also said she wanted to ensure the officers who were involved were held accountable and forced to change.. A blood test also later showed no impairing substances and the District Attorneys office dismissed the DUI charges, the complaint claims. The suit claims Sychla also attempted to conduct a hold maneuver to stop Siers, an attempt that was unsuccessful. The father of a teenage girl filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against three police officers in Loveland, Colo., who arrested her in 2020, saying the men used excessive force when they slammed the 14-year-old onto concrete, fired a Taser at him and choked the familys Jack Russell terrier. 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. The report said Ashe and two other officers took the man to the ground and arrested him for obstructing a police officer and resisting arrest, injuring his shoulder. It also included that 1,352 of the drivers he pulled over 84% of his stops were let off with just a warning. Officers Dunlap and Wood the suit claims Dunlap was field-training Wood at the time responded to the scene where they located and interviewed Hall. I was helpless watching my daughter getting manhandled by three other police officers. Following Schielkes early Wednesday release, the city published its own response to the event, stating that it will have Jensen Hughes conduct an independent investigation of the incident. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, The biggest threat to the safety of the Loveland community is - and continues to be - the Loveland Police Department itself. 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. 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. During a press conference held Monday, Deputy Chief and soon-to-be Interim Chief Eric Stewart said that decision came after the department received criticism of former DUI cases, adding the critics are members of a defense bar who represent drivers who were charged and some who ultimately passed blood tests following DUI arrests; he did not say exactly who the critics were and said he could not comment on specific incidents. A screen capture from body-worn camera video of Karen Garner's 2020 arrest and a portrait of Loveland Police Chief Bob Ticer. Eventually, Sychla deployed his Taser on Siers and continued to shock him for over five seconds, the lawsuit claims. Keep it Clean. I bet at this point Loveland wishes each of these events could involve the same officers, she said. Something like "Redefine the Police" might have been better. In recent years, the Loveland Police Department has faced several lawsuits that claimed officers used excessive force while making arrests, including on June 26, 2020, when a 73-year-old woman with dementia was thrown to the ground and pinned against a squad car, breaking a bone and dislocating her shoulder in the process. 9NEWS is not naming the witness because he is not being accused of a crime. Siers had his two dogs outside on leashes at the home, according to the suit. I was getting my dog, Siers can be heard screaming in the video. DENVER OK is your Colorado news, entertainment, music & fashion website. 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. He submitted to another breath test at the station on a certified Intoxilyzer machine and blew a 0.028%. The city said Ashe violated three department policies and procedures: limits of authority and exercise discretion; search and seizure; and use of force. Skippy can be seen in the video trying to pull its way over to him. arrested him for refusing to answer questions as a witness about a motorcycle crash outside a Loveland bar Sept. 22,2019. Schielke indeed did release the video on YouTube, as well as the lawsuit she said was filed Wednesday in Larimer County District Court on behalf of Jon Siers and his daughter. Local attorney Sarah Schielke has filed an amended lawsuit against members of the Loveland Police Department and the city of Loveland regarding an alleged wrongful DUI arrest in early 2020. The 18-year-old man declined twice to press charges against the girl and said the slap caused him no pain, according to the lawsuit. Anyone can read what you share. An internal review determined the officer was not justified in arresting a witness who refused to answer his questions. They have used this funding to buy themselves more equipment and hire more officers. S.S. can then be heard yelling that she needs to get a tampon, body camera footage shows. Four officers were there in total, the lawsuit states. While S.S. tried to pull away from Wood and Dunlap, the suit claims, the officers violently assaulted her as they tried to get her in handcuffs, including slamming her body and limbs onto the concrete and against the brick wall while pushing their bodiesagainst her back. The roommate then exited the house and Talmadge soon received a call from police asking him to step outside. Schielke said the names used in the suit were gained from a records request made to the LPD and, out of respect for each persons privacy, she did not include their full names with the exception of one person. As this department has demonstrated in the past, we are not afraid to have outside experts look at our operations to suggest changes where they may be needed or confirm where we continue to excel, it said. Sowls arrest in September 2019 was capturedon body camera footage, released by Sowls attorney Sarah Schielke. When the officers arrived, the suit says, Siers was found in front of the house working on S.S.s bike. Karen Garner, who has dementia, was arrested last June for walking out of a Walmart in Loveland, Colorado, with $13.88 worth of items, according to an amended lawsuit filed Sunday. The release did not state what disciplinary or corrective action would be taken as a result of this internal investigation, just that any disciplinary actions would be taken in accordance with the conclusion and outcome of the IA., More:Colorado Supreme Court ruling makes more police internal investigations accessible. City of Loveland via YouTube/ lovgov.org On September 7, the City. The city, in turn, has announced it will re-hire consulting company Jensen Hughes to investigate the incident. "Force is not reasonable when a suspect is non-violent, not resisting, not fleeing, or poses no threat.". During this, the suit claims, S.S. began screaming while suffering from a panic attack. Excess Force Suit Against Loveland Police Settled For $290,000 January 27, 2021 / 4:46 PM / CBS Colorado LOVELAND, Colo. (AP) - An excessive force lawsuit filed against the city of. 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.. All the investigation and work we were putting in to get a peek at the tip of the iceberg was taking forever, she said. Were stuck on Groundhog Day, basically, she said. The federal lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, alleged Sowls' First, Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments were violated, according to a news release fromSchielke. Shes a good kid.. The suit claims that once S.S. admitted to the slap, Wood, without warning, put his hands on her to begin an arrest by starting to put handcuffs on her, stating she was under arrest for assault. In the suit, Schielke is asking for declaratory and injunctive relief, compensatory, punitive or exemplary damages, and attorneys fees and costs. RM D5WCP3 - A police officer stops cars at a special checkpoint in Berlin, Germany, 09 April 2013. "Any complaint leveled against our personnel is taken seriously," the department said in a statement. 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. She had been dating 18-year-old Elijah Hall and, around lunchtime on June 20, 2020, she rode her bike to the nearby Safeway where she found Hall with another woman. He began to place handcuffs on her, which were too large for the 14-year-olds small wrists, making it easy to slip out of, Ms. Schielke said. Police were . Once in the driveway, an unidentified officer reportedly told Talmadge to face the garage, prompting Talmadge to ask if he was under arrest. 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. 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. ( Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. Nicole Yost, a spokeswoman for the city of Loveland, said she did not know who was representing the officers. I've never been in a situation quite like that before, Siers said. The release by Loveland corroborated Schielkes claims, stating that more than a month ago an attorney representing the family involved made a request to settle the claims with a four-day time frame to pay for damages, which the city declined. Loveland is not a safe place for grandparents. It claims Sychla unreasonably and wrongfully arrested Siers and used excessive force against him and his dog, and also that Sychla committed malicious prosecution in arresting and forwarding charges against Siers to prosecutors. (Courtesy of the Life and Liberty Law Office) The suit adds that, per. There was a problem saving your notification. 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. We provide you with the latest news and videos straight from the Mile High City! The suit claims that during this, S.S. hit her head more than once, ultimately causing a concussion. The ordeal was enough for someone to call Loveland police to the scene, according to the lawsuit. 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.. Schielke said this incident along with others in the past show that there is a theme of issues within department leadership. The report said Officer Paul Ashe asked a witness what happened, and the witness told him where the motorcycle was and said he had helped pull the motorcycle off the rider. 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. Support her work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today. Ashe twisted Sowls arm behind his back and pushed his face into the ground, according to a civil rights lawsuit. 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. 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. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. According to a release from the city, Ashe violated three LPD policies and procedures: Tice recommended a written warning and more training for the officer, according to the memo. Both videos can be found on the Life and Liberty Law Office YouTube page. Photo: Paul Zinken. 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. Watching my daughter go through this, I mean, I was terrified, Mr. Siers said by phone on Thursday. 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. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Karen Garner, who has dementia, was arrested last June for walking out of a Walmart in Loveland, Colorado, with $13.88 worth of items, according to an amended lawsuit filed Sunday. Wood was in field training at the time, according to the lawsuit, which says that Dunlap decided to use this childs slap as a chance for Officer Wood to get more experience practicing a domestic violence arrest.. Support her work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today. The video below is police bodycam footage from the incident. We'd love to hear eyewitness When the arrest begins, Siers can be seen in the video yelling at Sychla and the other officers that they cant arrest his daughter; all the while the familys two dogs can be heard barking continuously in the background. His two dogs Montana, a chihuahua, and Skippy, a Jack Russell terrier were on long leashes outside the house. The city said Ashe violated three department policies and procedures:. In an image taken from police body camera video, a 14-year-old girl is arrested at her home in Loveland, Colo., in 2020. Officers Wood and Dunlap eventually got her into handcuffs and arrested her for investigation of charges of harassment, domestic violence, obstruction and resisting arrest. Reach him at afleskes@prairiemountainmedia.com or on Twitter @Austinfleskes07. By: Colette Bordelon Posted at 7:17 PM, Mar 31, 2022 and last updated 6:17 PM, Mar 31, 2022 Excessive force lawsuit filed against Loveland police settled for $290K 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. As with previous cases Schielke has brought forth, the newest case against the department came not only with a written description in the lawsuit itself but also with a YouTube video providing both body-worn camera and security camera footage of the incident. Garner's arrest drew national attention after body camera footage released by her family's lawyer showed former Loveland Police Department officer Austin Hopp forcibly detain the then. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Ashe twisted Sowls arm behind his back and pushed his face into the ground, according to a civil rights lawsuit. According to the lawsuit, when Siers got home after work he noticed all the missed calls and voicemails from officers who said they wanted to talk with his daughter. The suit claims that at this time Siers noticed that his dogs were trying to protect him and his daughter and wanted to safely get them inside. The lawsuit, filed against officers Ashe, DeLima, Schnorr and Brian Bartnes, alleges that police violated Sowl's First and Fourth Amendment rights, and that the city of Loveland violated his. The. This, she said, is something she hopes is exposed and ultimately ended. An officer can be seen placing Skippy inside the house; the lawsuit states that Officer Sychla kicked him in the face before closing the door. The complaint goes on to say that Ticer and the LPD had a history of giving awards and recognition for high DUI arrests, including reporting the arrest numbers to agencies like Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Mr. Siers was later charged with resisting arrest; his daughter was charged with harassment, domestic violence, obstruction and resisting arrest. They hurt families and destroy lives, Schielke said in a statement. In their motion to dismiss, the defendants submitted a police affidavit in support of Talmadge's arrest from July 6. Im a canine officer, dude.. Philip Metzler and the City of Loveland of excessive force and violation of the Americans With . According to the complaint, the arrest destroyed her life, derailing her military career as she was not able to be deployed until her case was resolved, and devastated her marriage. Two months later, the complaint said, her blood results came back with a BAC of 0.02% and the case was dismissed. Really it's a testament to how bad things are at Loveland is that they know they're being recorded, and they don't change their behavior, because they just don't care, Schielke said in an interview. According to the report of an internal affair, the Loveland Police Department (LPD) responded to a report of a motorcycle crash that turned out to be a rider who had lost his balance while stopped. But Schielke states in the lawsuit several times the officers were bored and that Loveland police superiors had an unspoken practice of requiring officers to finish at least 10 citations each day in order to get promoted and onto the best shifts. In Ticer's presentation to the. It's worse for POC's, but the cops are just generally out of control in a lot of places, Slogan Defund The Police is demonized by even the left but police pay out this gob smacking amounts. And why would they? While all cases referred to each person only with initials and no full names, stories mirrored what Elias went through in early 2020. According to the lawsuit, the girl had confronted an 18-year-old she had been dating in the parking lot of a Safeway over him allegedly cheating on her with another girl or woman. She said that her hope with the filing of this amended lawsuit is to address problems she sees in how the LPD operates its DUI enforcement, focusing on her concern with incentives given to officers to arrest and charge citizens. Clint Schnorrand Sgt. racist or sexually-oriented language. The Loveland Police Department has also suspended Officer Austin Hopp, who initially handcuffed Garner; two others who were on the scene, Officer Daria Jalali and Sgt. "Indeed, the Amended Complaint lacks even a single allegation of how any specific officer touched Mr. Talmadge or engaged in force that was in excess of what was required to arrest him.". His attorney says the injury required Sowl to undergo shoulder replacement surgery. Both the Garner and Sowl cases were brought to light through Schielke and the Life and Liberty Law Office. They were both also making their very own wrongful DUI arrests during this time. The girl left on her bike, at which time the officers started calling the numbers of the girl and her father, and eventually went to their house to try to find them after calling for backup officers. 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. You know, it's just, it's horrifying, terrifying, Siers said in an interview Wednesday. According to the complaint, Emily Dutka, who had previously gone public about her arrest, was pulled over by Hill in May of 2020. It is terrifying because we all have to drive, we all use the roads, and it shouldnt be that easy for an officer to destroy our lives and there needs to be consequences when they recklessly do so, she said. I was helpless. The arrest startled her father, Jon Siers, who repeatedly told the officers that what they were doing was completely wrong, the lawsuit states. I am confident that a thorough and impartial process was undertaken and appreciate the time and attention spent to review this matter, Adams said in the news release. Defund the police was the wrong slogan. By law, if I see an OSHA violation and fail to act,I can be held personally responsible. And it claims that Dunlap and Wood arrested the girl without a warrant and used excessive force. Example video title will go here for this video. The attorney representing Karen Garner and her family released a video Monday of officers discussing and joking about injuring Garner after her arrest. The city of Loveland and Loveland Police Department settled the lawsuit with Sowl in January for nearly $300,000. According to the suit, S.S., who was 14 years old at the time, lived with Siers at their home in Loveland. Sowl said he needed shoulder replacement surgery after the incident. What theyre doing is just violence., Arrest of Colorado 14-Year-Old Over a Slap Prompts Excessive-Force Suit, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/17/us/colorado-loveland-police-lawsuit.html. but it can also be stressful. He called them back, and officers came back to his home while he was outside working on his daughters bike. Be Nice. On a form that asked the boy if the actions of S.S. caused him pain, he marked, No., It was the middle of the day and there was little else to do, the lawsuit states, adding that the officers were bored.. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, brought in to assess the Loveland Police Department. After going through roadside tests Hill arrested Dutka and took her for a blood test. The lawsuit names three officers who were involved in the arrests of Siers and his daughter as defendants: Officers Matt Sychla, Jeremiah Wood and Evan Dunlap. Chief Ticer and Sergeant Hill did not care about these poor innocent people Gates was victimizing without consequence, the complaint said. 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 city did not pay the demanded amount and the attorney subsequently released an edited version of the body-camera video to the public, the city said in a news release. Dutka, an active duty military member, was driving a rental car and did not realize a headlight was out. 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. All rights reserved. Loveland is not a safe place for pets. had 6 out of 6 clues of impairment and he blew a 0.042% on a preliminary breath test; he was arrested for DUI. Permalink. The charges against them were eventually dismissed, Ms. Schielke said. All Rights Reserved. You can send your story ideas to her at sswanson@coloradoan.com or on Twitter at @sadyswan. Don't knowingly lie about anyone Sowl's arrest was captured on body camera footage. Let there be no mistake: Loveland is not a safe place for children. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. Brian Bartnes. Im not talking to nobody.. A civil lawsuit was filed against the Loveland Police Department and City of Loveland after a police officer shot a couple's 14-month-old dog. Share with Us. I feel that there needs to be a change in law enforcement, Mr. Siers said. We ask the public to keep an open mind as we deal with claims that will ultimately be addressed in a court of law., The statement added that this is too important an issue for the health and safety of our community to ignore.. She added that while she is focusing on the LPD with this lawsuit, as it pertains to this specific department, she has heard from other attorneys that this is a problem across the country. The complaint claims Gates said he could smell alcohol coming from the vehicle and that K.S. MORE COVERAGE:NISP opponents sue Larimer County commissioners over permit approval. "The city of Loveland, the family continues to anxiously await answers to any of that." Garner was arrested in June 2020 after she left a local Walmart without paying for a T-shirt, soda, candy. They had yelled at each other, which caused someone to call the police, according to the lawsuit. According to the Associated Press, Garcia said the settlement states the city and officers do not admit any guilt in this case. But the investigation determined the witness had not committed a crime and the officer was not justified in arresting him, according to an internal memo from Police Chief Robert Tice dated May 7. After asking if Hall wanted to press charges, telling him he would need to fill out some information in a packet, Hall said he would rather just pass., The suit claims that despite Halls decision to not press charges, Dunlap decided to use the slap as a chance for Officer Wood to get more experience practicing a domestic violence arrest.. I couldn't do anything. At one point in the interaction, Sowl can be heard telling Ashe, "I don't know what happened. By Keith Coffman. Schielkeis alsorepresenting Karen Garner and her family in an ongoing civil rights lawsuit against Loveland police. It also included these male adult officers forcibly pushing her entire body against brick wall and concrete, and for officer Wood, at times pushing the front of his own body hard up against her back.. Ashe detained Sowl for not answering his questions, twisting his arm behind his back and pushing his face into the ground. 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. While the witness was being uncooperative, the IA (internal affairs) reports that there was not probable cause to arrest Sowl, aFriday news release from the city of Loveland stated. She said that without someone standing up to call out the pattern of violent conduct and complete disrespect for this community, nothing is going to change. / CBS Colorado. that is degrading to another person. "Mr. Talmadge was minding his own business, and did not pose a danger to himself or others," Talmadge wrote in his complaint. The suit says the girl suffered cuts, scrapes, bruises and a concussion during the ordeal. Following this, the suit claims that Sychla shoved Siers backward several times, with Siers eventually scrambling away into a parking space in front of the residence. Without intervention, this self-serving scam will continue and the wake of innocent citizens whose lives are destroyed by it will continue to grow.. Hill said she could smell alcohol in Dutkas vehicle, which Dutka explained was due to a drunk friend whom she had driven home. The Loveland Police Department is facing another excessive use of force lawsuit after the release of information and footage of a 2020 arrest of a man and his then-14-year-old daughter as well as the treatment of one of their family dogs. Phil Metzler, have been. Loveland resident Pretson Sowl filed the lawsuit against the city of Loveland, Loveland Police Department and Loveland police officers Paul Ashe andBenjamin DeLima, Det. The civil lawsuit alleges Loveland police officer William Gates falsely arrested Harris Elias on suspicion of DUI while driving in midtown Fort . Loveland Police Department officers Jeremiah Wood and Evan Dunlap arrest a 14-year-old girl in Loveland in June of 2020.