I need to put a tampon in, she yells, using an expletive. Sowl said he needed shoulder replacement surgery after the incident. 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 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. Dutka, an active duty military member, was driving a rental car and did not realize a headlight was out. A lawsuit filed by a Fort Collins man accuses a Loveland police officer of wrongfully arresting him on suspicion of driving under the influence in January 2020. Sowls arrest in September 2019 was capturedon body camera footage, released by Sowls attorney Sarah Schielke. 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.. 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. 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. Photo: Paul Zinken. You have permission to edit this article. We'd love to hear eyewitness Im a canine officer, dude.. According to the suit, S.S., who was 14 years old at the time, lived with Siers at their home in Loveland. "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 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. 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. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. As S.S. watched this from a few feet away, she began having a panic attack, the lawsuit states. Schielkeis alsorepresenting Karen Garner and her family in an ongoing civil rights lawsuit against Loveland police. He told her they were not in a relationship, according to the suit, and the girl got upset and slapped him. 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. By law, if I see an OSHA violation and fail to act,I can be held personally responsible. Threats of harming another 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. 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. His attorney says the injury required Sowl to undergo shoulder replacement surgery. 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. Police are strengthening their checks of motorcycles and mopeds at the start of spring. After going through roadside tests Hill arrested Dutka and took her for a blood test. Siers was also arrested for investigation of obstructing a peace officer and resisting arrest, but the district attorneys office also dismissed those charges. The familys small white dog, Skippy, began to bark at the officers in a show of protection, the lawsuit states, prompting Mr. Siers to tell the officers that he was going to get his dog so he wouldnt bite them. At one point in the interaction, Sowl can be heard telling Ashe, I dont know what happened. 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 lawsuit claims that a man and his 14-year-old daughter were arrested by officers who used excessive force during the encounter in 2020. They treat animals like trash. 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.. When the officers arrived, the suit says, Siers was found in front of the house working on S.S.s bike. 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. All rights reserved. We provide you with the latest news and videos straight from the Mile High City! 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. 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. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. 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. According to the suit, the event caused emotional and physical trauma to not only Siers and S.S. but also Skippy. In a news release and in discussions with the Reporter-Herald, Schielke described the arrest as senseless and needless violence. Philip Metzler and the City of Loveland of excessive force and violation of the Americans With . The ordeal was enough for someone to call Loveland police to the scene, according to the lawsuit. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, brought in to assess the Loveland Police Department. Officers Wood and Dunlap eventually got her into handcuffs and arrested her for investigation of charges of harassment, domestic violence, obstruction and resisting arrest. 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. Sowl said he needed shoulder replacement surgery after the incident. Schielke also said she wanted to ensure the officers who were involved were held accountable and forced to change.. The complaint claims Gates said he could smell alcohol coming from the vehicle and that K.S. 3 min read. Permalink. or anything. I feel that there needs to be a change in law enforcement, Mr. Siers said. 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. COLORADO DOCUMENTARY PROJECT Speak out! 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. This is not a bad apples event, it is the whole tree.. She also represented Karen Garner and her family in that case, which led to a $3 million settlement last year. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. but it can also be stressful. 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. The roommate then exited the house and Talmadge soon received a call from police asking him to step outside. Ashe detained Sowl for not answering his questions, twisting his arm behind his back and pushing his face into the ground. 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 officers asked him to call his daughter outside, saying they just wanted to talk to her. And it claims that Dunlap and Wood arrested the girl without a warrant and used excessive force. Brian Bartnes. A blood test also later showed no impairing substances and the District Attorneys office dismissed the DUI charges, the complaint claims. You can send your story ideas to her at sswanson@coloradoan.com or on Twitter at @sadyswan. 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 cause violating the Colorado constitution Article II Section 7 and malicious prosecution under the Fourth Amendment. 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. LOVELAND, Colo. (KDVR) A Loveland police officer involved in the forceful arrest of Karen Garner resigned on Wednesday following an independent investigation by a consulting firm.. Talmadge's roommate continued to remain in the home, allegedly telling Talmadge: "You will leave before I do.". https://www.reporterherald.com/2020/06/22/man-sues-loveland-police-department-alleging-excessive-force/?fbclid=IwAR1nA4PCQglIk6_WZnOrE2Hy6S3zGZ5L5-sxQFW2_D4aHA1QedY48JlaYu0, https://pmatep5f7b.execute-api.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/ProdStage. I bet at this point Loveland wishes each of these events could involve the same officers, she said. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. 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. Without intervention, this self-serving scam will continue and the wake of innocent citizens whose lives are destroyed by it will continue to grow.. He submitted to another breath test at the station on a certified Intoxilyzer machine and blew a 0.028%. 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.. The lawsuit says the girl, Siers and the dog have all suffered since the ordeal that day and that the dog has become extremely aggressive with every stranger.. 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. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. RM D5WCP3 - A police officer stops cars at a special checkpoint in Berlin, Germany, 09 April 2013. Sowl's arrest in September 2019 was capturedon body camera footage, released by Sowl's attorney Sarah Schielke. 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. According to the lawsuit, Siers was aware an LPD officer had shot and killed a familys dog in the past year (which Schielke also filed suit over) and wanted to take the dog inside so it was not shot if it bit one of the officers. The roof of a police patrol car at night, with the blue and red lights flashing. Another officer, according to Talmadge, slammed him to the ground where his "head bounced off the concrete." In Ticer's presentation to the. 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. 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. Sychla handcuffed Siers, who was still pleading to have officers let him take his dog inside. You can send your story ideas to her at sswanson@coloradoan.com or on Twitter at @sadyswan. Sady Swanson covers public safety, criminal justice, Larimer County governmentand more throughout Northern Colorado. 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.. We need you. 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. 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. 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. 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. Police were . "Accordingly, Plaintiffs illegal arrest claim is barred by Heck.". In that video, Sychla can be heard explaining to Siers why he used force, explaining he wasnt sure what the Siers intentions were. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. 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. 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. 2023 www.coloradoan.com. 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. The guy was probably arguing unnecessarily, and probably not a liberal at all but he was right in this case. 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. This includes several pictures of Facebook posts showing Gates or Hill being awarded for their DUI enforcement work. The federal lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, alleged Sowls' First, Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments were violated, according to a news release fromSchielke. And that starts with getting rid of every supervisor at LPD who approved of the violence in this video, she said. 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 accident turned out to be a man losing his balance on his motorcycle and falling over. Get on the ground, an officer yells, pointing a Taser at Mr. Siers and then firing it. 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. accounts, the history behind an article. 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. 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. 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.

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