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. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, brought in to assess the Loveland Police Department. His attorney says the injury required Sowl to undergo shoulder replacement surgery. The accident turned out to be a man losing his balance on his motorcycle and falling over. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. City of Loveland via YouTube/ lovgov.org On September 7, the City. At one point in the interaction, Sowl can be heard telling Ashe, I dont know what happened. We need you. The city said the findings of the latest review will be made public once it is complete. "Force is not reasonable when a suspect is non-violent, not resisting, not fleeing, or poses no threat.". The lawsuit claims Sychla arrested Siers without a warrant and used excessive force against him, and violated the Dog Protection Act when he allegedly choked the dog. 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. By law, if I see an OSHA violation and fail to act,I can be held personally responsible. You know, it's just, it's horrifying, terrifying, Siers said in an interview Wednesday. The roof of a police patrol car at night, with the blue and red lights flashing. Beyond excessive use of force incidents, the department has faced scrutiny for several other incidents, including the shooting and killing of a 19-year-old boy in 2021 and a dog in 2019, as well as criticism over alleged wrongful DUI arrests. Sowls arrest in September 2019 was capturedon body camera footage, released by Sowls attorney Sarah Schielke. Police are strengthening their checks of motorcycles and mopeds at the start of spring. 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. The video below is police bodycam footage from the incident. Sowl said he needed shoulder replacement surgery after the incident, according to the lawsuit. Defund the police was the wrong slogan. 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. 3 min read. 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. The lawsuit alleges officers injured Garner when they arrested her in June 2020 for alleged petty theft. And that starts with getting rid of every supervisor at LPD who approved of the violence in this video, she said. In their motion to dismiss, the defendants submitted a police affidavit in support of Talmadge's arrest from July 6. but it can also be stressful. I bet at this point Loveland wishes each of these events could involve the same officers, she said. 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. Best practices in law enforcement will be maintained and we are committed to accountability if those standards are not upheld, he said. 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. 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. Schielke said this incident along with others in the past show that there is a theme of issues within department leadership. Following the footage of the arrest the video stated that the event was reviewed by LPD chain of command and deemed reasonable and justified.. I was helpless watching my daughter getting manhandled by three other police officers. 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. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. By: Colette Bordelon Posted at 7:17 PM, Mar 31, 2022 and last updated 6:17 PM, Mar 31, 2022 I need to put a tampon in, she yells, using an expletive. 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. Be Truthful. Ashe twisted Sowls arm behind his back and pushed his face into the ground, according to a civil rights lawsuit. 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. Sowl said he needed shoulder replacement surgery after the incident. S.S. can then be heard yelling that she needs to get a tampon, body camera footage shows. During this, the suit claims, S.S. began screaming while suffering from a panic attack. Nicole Yost, a spokeswoman for the city of Loveland, said she did not know who was representing the officers. 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. 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 Loveland Police Department officers had searched for the daughter, who is identified in the lawsuit only as S.S., after she slapped a boy in a Safeway supermarket parking lot because she believed he had been cheating on her with another girl, the lawsuit states. 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. The first roughly 21 pages share Elias story of his arrest the night of Jan. 4, 2020. The suit also claims Sychla falsified and exaggerated facts in the police report involving Siers. When Siers tries to move around Sychla in the video an action he says was to deal with the dogs Sychla can be seen pushing Siers back. 9NEWS is not naming the witness because he is not being accused of a crime. 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. In Ticer's presentation to the. 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. Colorado Supreme Court ruling makes more police internal investigations accessible. 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. While both Siers and S.S. can be heard screaming to not choke my dog, Sychla responds by saying he is a K-9 officer. 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Two officers Dunlap and Wood responded and spoke to the girl and young man, as well as other witnesses. "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. Both the Garner and Sowl cases were brought to light through Schielke and the Life and Liberty Law Office. 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. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Schielke also said she wanted to ensure the officers who were involved were held accountable and forced to change.. I'm not talking to nobody.". 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. 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. The suit says the girl suffered cuts, scrapes, bruises and a concussion during the ordeal. Police were . The suit claims Sychla also attempted to conduct a hold maneuver to stop Siers, an attempt that was unsuccessful. 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. Clint Schnorrand Sgt. Ashe twisted Sowls arm behind his back and pushed his face into the ground, according to a civil rights lawsuit. 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. The city, in turn, has announced it will re-hire consulting company Jensen Hughes to investigate the incident. 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. The next thing Talmadge recalled was being at the hospital. Skippy can be seen in the video trying to pull its way over to him. led to a $3 million settlement last year. The amended complaint, which Schielke filed to the United States District Court in Denver Thursday, has the same three claims but comes with several notable additions, including naming Sgt. The lawsuit claims the dog did eventually nip at some of the officers, and that Sychla eventually picked the dog up by his leach and held him into the air by his throat while taking him to the front door of the home and putting him inside. 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. Officers Wood and Dunlap, who had asked for backup, arrived outside Mr. Sierss home later that day and asked to speak with his daughter. 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. Last year, the city of Loveland paid a $3 million settlement to the woman, Karen Garner. The guy was probably arguing unnecessarily, and probably not a liberal at all but he was right in this case. Were stuck on Groundhog Day, basically, she said. 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. I was getting my dog, Siers can be heard screaming in the video. According to the report of an internal. 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. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. The suit claims that Siers and S.S. are seeking declaratory relief and economic damages as well as compensatory damages, among other things, through a jury trial. She begged the officers to let her grab a tampon, but they told her no, causing her to flail and then collapse on the ground in tears, the lawsuit states. In the suit, Schielke is asking for declaratory and injunctive relief, compensatory, punitive or exemplary damages, and attorneys fees and costs. 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. S.S. can be heard crying and yelling in the background. 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. accounts, the history behind an article. 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. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. Loveland Police Department officers Jeremiah Wood and Evan Dunlap arrest a 14-year-old girl in Loveland in June of 2020. 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. Longmont landscaper under scrutiny after new complaints, Carreras Tacos Bring West Coast Mexican with a Competitive Edge, Murdaughs fall from grace ends in life sentence for murder, Former clerk Tina Peters found guilty on obstruction charge, Boulder police seek person of interest in womans shooting near CU Boulder. 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. Shes a good kid.. 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. I feel that there needs to be a change in law enforcement, Mr. Siers said. Share with Us. 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. DENVER OK is your Colorado news, entertainment, music & fashion website. All rights reserved. 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. 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. Support her work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today. 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.. She pretty much sticks to herself, stays at home, stays out of trouble, he said. The roommate then exited the house and Talmadge soon received a call from police asking him to step outside. 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. 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.. Example video title will go here for this video. They had yelled at each other, which caused someone to call the police, according to the lawsuit. The video also encourages viewers to contact the city of Loveland and let them know your thoughts on their amazing police department!, The theme across all these assaults is that this is a police department that has no concept of what community safety actually means and entails, Schielke told the Reporter-Herald. I felt helpless just watching them manhandle my daughter the way they did.. The case was settled for $290,000, City Attorney Moses Garcia said. That night Gates pulled Elias over in Fort Collins and, ultimately, Gates arrested Elias for DUI. The city of Loveland and Loveland Police Department settled the lawsuit with Sowl in January for nearly $300,000. 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. Loveland Police Department, via The Life & Liberty Law Office. Four officers were there in total, the lawsuit states. The complaint claims Gates said he could smell alcohol coming from the vehicle and that K.S. The boy, who denied that he cheated, declined to press charges, according to body camera footage of him speaking with the officers, which was released Wednesday by the familys lawyer, Sarah Schielke. "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. The complaint also includes 20 instances from other residents claiming that they were wrongfully arrested; the complaint adds the ones listed were just some of arrests made by Hill and Gates.