The ordeal was enough for someone to call Loveland police to the scene, according to the lawsuit. 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. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. 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. The complaint later stated that, in 2019, Gates initiated 1,622 traffic stops while the average total number of stops from other LPD patrol officers working similar shifts in 2019 was 200 to 400 a year. 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. This is not the first time the department has faced an excessive use of force lawsuit for actions of its officers. 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.. And it claims that Dunlap and Wood arrested the girl without a warrant and used excessive force. A federal judge has dismissed a man's lawsuit against the city of Loveland and multiple police officers that alleged excessive force and unlawful arrest. The back-to-back violent arrests point to a toxic cultural problem that cant be resolved by cherry-picking off the officer, Ms. Schielke said. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The official filing of the amended complaint comes quickly after the LPD announced that it would be launching an outside, professional review of its DUI enforcement program; Schielke said she had informed the department of the amended complaint two weeks ago. She added that while she had tried to let Loveland settle the matter without taking it public, the city had declined. 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. The city, in response, said it will conduct an independent review and maintained that it is committed to accountability. Loveland police face excessive force lawsuit for 2020 arrest of father The first roughly 21 pages share Elias story of his arrest the night of Jan. 4, 2020. racist or sexually-oriented language. Karen Garner video: Colorado prosecutors launch criminal probe into Sychla handcuffed Siers, who was still pleading to have officers let him take his dog inside. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. By law, if I see an OSHA violation and fail to act,I can be held personally responsible. Im a canine officer, dude.. The city said Ashe violated three department policies and procedures: limits of authority and exercise discretion; search and seizure; and use of force. The city of Loveland and Loveland Police Department settled the lawsuit with Sowl in January for nearly $300,000. Ashe twisted Sowls arm behind his back and pushed his face into the ground, according to a civil rights lawsuit. All the investigation and work we were putting in to get a peek at the tip of the iceberg was taking forever, she said. MORE COVERAGE:NISP opponents sue Larimer County commissioners over permit approval. The City of Loveland is paying out $290,000 dollars to settle a lawsuit over the wrongful arrest of a man in September 2019, the man's attorney said. Schielke and Sowl were not able to answer any additional questions about the settlementdue to the agreement with Loveland, according to the news release. A civil lawsuit filed in Larimer County District Court accuses Loveland police officer Mat Grashorn of "recklessly killing" Wendy Love and her husband Jay Hamm's 14-month-old dog, a. Want the real scoop? Ashe detained Sowl for not answering his questions, twisting his arm behind his back and pushing his face into the ground. According to the report of an internal. The city hired Jensen Hughes in 2021 to lead an independent investigation into the departments policies and procedures following the release of information about Garners arrest. In Ticer's presentation to the. In Talmadge's narrative of events, he attempted to eject his roommate from his Loveland home on July 6, 2019, but the roommate refused and instead called police to the home. 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. Mr. Siers then asked the officers to stop, saying she was just a child. His two dogs Montana, a chihuahua, and Skippy, a Jack Russell terrier were on long leashes outside the house. 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. I bet at this point Loveland wishes each of these events could involve the same officers, she said. It was unclear if the officers had lawyers, and the Loveland Police Department did not immediately respond to calls seeking comment on Thursday. The roommate then exited the house and Talmadge soon received a call from police asking him to step outside. The Moving can be an exciting experience. Even Chief Ticer himself assisted Hill with arresting and charging an innocent person with DUI, by providing a (Drug Recognition Expert) evaluation of the individual and declaring in his (Ticers) expert DRE opinion that the person was under the influence of cannabis.. Varholak allowed Talmadge, who represented himself in court, to refile his lawsuit by June 6 if Talmadge wished to bolster any of his claims that the magistrate judge found lacking. January 27, 2021 / 4:46 PM By Keith Coffman. Police are strengthening their checks of motorcycles and mopeds at the start of spring. "Force is not reasonable when a suspect is non-violent, not resisting, not fleeing, or poses no threat.". 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. Loveland Police Department is located at 810 E 10th Street, Loveland, CO 80537 map Lobby hours: Monday through Friday 8am-5pm The LPD lobby is a safe place for online sales transactions and custody exchanges. Before coming to Loveland, he graduated from Colorado State University in May 2020 with two bachelor's degrees, one in journalism and media communications and one in history. Philip Metzler and the City of Loveland of excessive force and violation of the Americans With . They had yelled at each other, which caused someone to call the police, according to the lawsuit. 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. During this, the suit claims, S.S. began screaming while suffering from a panic attack. 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.. Reach him at afleskes@prairiemountainmedia.com or on Twitter @Austinfleskes07. We'd love to hear eyewitness Schielkeis alsorepresenting Karen Garner and her family in an ongoing civil rights lawsuit against Loveland police. 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 police settle excessive force lawsuit for $290K Brian Bartnes. 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. The city, in turn, has announced it will re-hire consulting company Jensen Hughes to investigate the incident. The arrest startled her father, Jon Siers, who repeatedly told the officers that what they were doing was completely wrong, the lawsuit states. By Elise Schmelzer | PUBLISHED: March 2, 2022 at 3:24 p.m. | UPDATED: March 2, 2022 at 3:26 p.m. Were not (going to) shoot your dog; knock it off, Sychla can be heard saying. Let there be no mistake: Loveland is not a safe place for children. She also represented Karen Garner and her family in that case, which led to a $3 million settlement last year. Fort Collins man sues Loveland police officer, alleges wrongful DUI arrest Loveland Colorado Police DUI Scheme Lawsuit Update | Westword 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. Be Proactive. Sowl's arrest was captured on body camera footage. That complaint, which only named Loveland and Gates as defendants, alleged three claims in connection to the arrest two years ago: unlawful arrest without probable cause, arrest without probable. or anything. 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. Nicole Yost, a spokeswoman for the city of Loveland, said she did not know who was representing the officers. Man sues Loveland Police Department alleging excessive force Thank you for your interest in the Loveland Police Department. Emergency medical personnel arrived, along with police officers from the Loveland Police Department. The case was settled for $290,000, City Attorney Moses Garcia said. View this page in Standard (full site) format. The first third of the complaint retells Elias story with much of the restgoing into more detail on what the complaint describes as Chief Bob Ticer and the LPDs obsession with DUI arrests.. led to a $3 million settlement last year. Ex-Loveland police officer pleads guilty to felony assault for S.S. can be heard crying and yelling in the background. The incident drew interest from nearby residents resulting in someone calling the LPD. 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. Antolina Hill as one of the defendants as well as including a number of other stories alleging wrongful DUI arrest and information on the culture of the LPDs DUI enforcement. The city of Loveland and Loveland Police Department settled the lawsuit with Sowl in January for nearly $300,000. "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.". Be Nice. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. Woman with dementia sues city of Loveland, police officers - CNN 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 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. (Courtesy of the Life and Liberty Law Office) The suit adds that, per. 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. Example video title will go here for this video. "Being a defendant in civil rights litigation is stressful, time-consuming, and especially in the case of law enforcement, detracts from everyday duties to the public," lawyers for the defendants wrote. According to a complaint filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Denver on behalf of Preston Sowl, 60, by attorney Sarah Schielke, Sowl and his wife were leaving Charlie L's Pub with some friends on. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.. Create new account | My Profile | My Account | My Bookmarks | My Inbox | Help | Log in, Back to top Alert Link here The department also faced an excessive use of force suit for the 2019 arrest of Preston Sowl, which was settled by the city for $290,000. The city said the findings of the latest review will be made public once it is complete. 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. "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. I'm not talking to nobody.". According to the suit, the event caused emotional and physical trauma to not only Siers and S.S. but also Skippy. 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.. 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. 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. "Mr. Talmadge was minding his own business, and did not pose a danger to himself or others," Talmadge wrote in his complaint. He submitted to another breath test at the station on a certified Intoxilyzer machine and blew a 0.028%. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. I'm not talking to nobody.". 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. 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. Sowl said he needed shoulder replacement surgery after the incident. Colorado Supreme Court ruling makes more police internal investigations accessible. It also included that 1,352 of the drivers he pulled over 84% of his stops were let off with just a warning. Schielke said she filed Elias original complaint quickly as to avoid the statute of limitations closing. Loveland is not a safe place for grandparents. Loveland Police Department officers Jeremiah Wood and Evan Dunlap arrest a 14-year-old girl in Loveland in June of 2020. Sady Swanson covers public safety, K-12 education and more throughout Northern Colorado. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. The city said Ashe violated three department policies and procedures: limits of authority and exercise discretion; search and seizure; and use of force. Whether movers in Fort Collins are helping you Austin Fleskes joined the Reporter-Herald team in August 2020 as the newsroom's public safety reporter. Another person, identified as K.S., was pulled over by Gates Sept. 30, 2019. According to the Associated Press, Garcia said the settlement states the city and officers do not admit any guilt in this case. For Siers and his daughter, they have both lost and continue to lose sleep while not feeling safe in their home, with S.S. suffering panic attacks and insomnia the suit says. According to the suit, S.S., who was 14 years old at the time, lived with Siers at their home in Loveland. Police video shows officers joking about violent arrest of Colorado Two officers Dunlap and Wood responded and spoke to the girl and young man, as well as other witnesses. Arrest of Colorado 14-Year-Old Over a Slap Prompts Excessive-Force Suit Loveland police officers sued over alleged excessive force involving This includes several pictures of Facebook posts showing Gates or Hill being awarded for their DUI enforcement work. Something like "Redefine the Police" might have been better. At the Safeway parking lot, Officers Wood and Dunlap were collecting witness statements and asking the boy to fill out a form describing the slap, the lawsuit states. I was scared. Steve Adams, the city manager in Loveland, said in a statement that while the incidents were initially reviewed and deemed appropriate at the time of the event, he would open a second review of the arrest by an independent law enforcement and public safety consulting firm. The release added the findings from this review will be made public when the investigation is completed. The roof of a police patrol car at night, with the blue and red lights flashing. After S.S. came out and began talking with the officers, she eventually admitted to slapping Hall earlier that day the video accompanying the suit claims their body-worn cameras were muted for much of this discussion. They have used this funding to buy themselves more equipment and hire more officers. Schielkeis alsorepresenting Karen Garner and her family in an ongoing civil rights lawsuit against Loveland police. Sady Swanson covers public safety, criminal justice, Larimer County governmentand more throughout Northern Colorado. Both videos can be found on the Life and Liberty Law Office YouTube page. Four officers were there in total, the lawsuit states. He first blew a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.000%, the complaint says, and later that night Elias was given a blood test that eventually came back negative. It also includes a post from Overcash in February of 2021 congratulating two of the three officers involved in the incident for receiving awards from the department for actions in 2020, with Dunlap and Wood each receiving an Exemplary Action Ribbon for an undescribed reason. 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.. LOVELAND, Colo. The City of Loveland is paying out $290,000 dollars to settle a lawsuit over the wrongful arrest of a man in September 2019, the man's attorney said. 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. Siers had his two dogs outside on leashes at the home, according to the suit. He also claimed the encounter demonstrated a "serious training issue" with the Loveland Police Department. Man sues Loveland Police Department alleging excessive force She said, at the time, her records requests were not being fulfilled quickly enough to file before time ran out. Schielkeis alsorepresenting Karen Garner and her family in an ongoing civil rights lawsuit against Loveland police. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. In their motion to dismiss, the defendants submitted a police affidavit in support of Talmadge's arrest from July 6. According to the complaint, Emily Dutka, who had previously gone public about her arrest, was pulled over by Hill in May of 2020. Support her work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today. 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..