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. The suit says the girl suffered cuts, scrapes, bruises and a concussion during the ordeal. Ashe twisted Sowls arm behind his back and pushed his face into the ground, according to a civil rights lawsuit. "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. Thank you for visiting. When the officers arrived, the suit says, Siers was found in front of the house working on S.S.s bike. 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. 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. Sady Swanson covers public safety, K-12 education and more throughout Northern Colorado. 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. 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. Support her work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today. Support her work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today. RM D5WCP3 - A police officer stops cars at a special checkpoint in Berlin, Germany, 09 April 2013. 2023 www.coloradoan.com. Mr. Siers was later charged with resisting arrest; his daughter was charged with harassment, domestic violence, obstruction and resisting arrest. They treat people like animals. We hope you will find useful information in the links on the left. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. I was scared. A blood test also later showed no impairing substances and the District Attorneys office dismissed the DUI charges, the complaint claims. View this page in Standard (full site) format. So, I didn't know quite how to react.. The suit claims that during this, S.S. hit her head more than once, ultimately causing a concussion. 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.. Four officers were there in total, the lawsuit states. Be Nice. 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. While the original complaint totaled 15 pages, the amended complaint was filed at four times larger, coming in at 62 pages of information, allegation and claims for relief. The biggest threat to the safety of the Loveland community is - and continues to be - the Loveland Police Department itself. Subscribe to Colorado Politics today! Once in the driveway, an unidentified officer reportedly told Talmadge to face the garage, prompting Talmadge to ask if he was under arrest. 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. 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 three officers named in the lawsuit Matt Sychla, Jeremiah Wood and Evan Dunlap still arrested S.S. outside her home that day. His attorney says the injury required Sowl to undergo shoulder replacement surgery. 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. 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. And it claims that Dunlap and Wood arrested the girl without a warrant and used excessive force. 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. Secure your subscription to Colorados premier political news journal, in continuous publication since 1898. By Keith Coffman. The suit, filed in the 8th Judicial District Court on Wednesday morning, lists three claims for relief: unreasonable seizure and excessive force resulting in the abuse of their dog Skippy and wrongful arrest of Siers by Sychla; violation of due process and malicious prosecution of Siers by Sychla; and unreasonable seizure and excessive force with an arrest of S.S. by Wood and Dunlap. 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. The city said Ashe violated three department policies and procedures: limits of authority and exercise discretion; search and seizure; and use of force. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. 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. "Force is not reasonable when a suspect is non-violent, not resisting, not fleeing, or poses no threat.". Watch the body camera footage here According. 2001 - 2023 Democratic Underground, LLC. A Loveland, Colorado, police officer is on administrative leave and two other officers have been reassigned to administrative duties after a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging excessive use of . Sowls arrest in September 2019 was capturedon body camera footage, released by Sowls attorney Sarah Schielke. Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. Colorado Police Officer Sued for 'Recklessly' Shooting Family Dog 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. That night Gates pulled Elias over in Fort Collins and, ultimately, Gates arrested Elias for DUI. I'm not talking to nobody.". She said, at the time, her records requests were not being fulfilled quickly enough to file before time ran out. Lawsuit alleges Loveland Police Department has pattern of wrongful DUI arrests Blood test shows man arrested in 2020 had no alcohol in system A new lawsuit targets the Loveland Police Department's DUI enforcement. The city also released its own video with footage from the incident from Sychlas body-worn camera, which includes the incident itself as well as Siers arrest and discussion with Sychla. You can be in the know right alongside Colorados political insiders. 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. The arrest startled her father, Jon Siers, who repeatedly told the officers that what they were doing was completely wrong, the lawsuit states. This included slamming her body and limbs down into concrete multiples times, the lawsuit says. He also added that Skippy had bitten one of the officers involved. The civil lawsuit alleges Loveland police officer William Gates falsely arrested Harris Elias on suspicion of DUI while driving in midtown Fort . In a written response reflecting many points Stewart said during Mondays press conference, the department said it can not comment on specific cases and wants to be transparent and open in our work.. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The ordeal was enough for someone to call Loveland police to the scene, according to the lawsuit. Loveland police officers sued over alleged excessive force - YouTube They treat animals like trash. Sady Swanson covers public safety, criminal justice, Larimer County governmentand more throughout Northern Colorado. All rights reserved. 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. 9NEWS is not naming the witness because he is not being accused of a crime. Anyone can read what you share. Another officer, according to Talmadge, slammed him to the ground where his "head bounced off the concrete." Want the real scoop? Loveland Police Department, via The Life & Liberty Law Office. 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. You know, I dont know quite what, but some kind of change. At one point in the interaction, Sowl can be heard telling Ashe, "I don't know what happened. 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. 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. 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. Loveland Police Officer Resorts to Excessive Force Police were . Sarah Schielke of the Life and Liberty Law Office filed a lawsuit against the department and three of its officers Jeremiah Wood, Matt Sychla and Evan Dunlap for the arrest of Jon Siers and his daughter, only named as S.S. in the suit, in front of their home in Loveland in June of 2020. The city of Loveland and Loveland Police Department settled the lawsuit with Sowl in January for nearly $300,000. 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. 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. Both videos can be found on the Life and Liberty Law Office YouTube page. The complaint also touches on results from the Jensen Hughes report that came out following the release of information on the 2020 arrest of Karen Garner, specifically what investigators heard in regard to the departments Data Driven Approach to Crime and Traffic Safety methods. 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. Without intervention, this self-serving scam will continue and the wake of innocent citizens whose lives are destroyed by it will continue to grow.. Schielke filed a 52-page lawsuit Wednesday accusing Officer Hopp, Officer Daria Jalali, Sgt. 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. The officers asked him to call his daughter outside, saying they just wanted to talk to her. 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. 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. NISP opponents sue Larimer County commissioners over permit approval, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. 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.. To always use Standard format on my mobile device: Go to My Account, About | Copyright | Privacy | Terms of service | Contact. The lawsuit states that Officers Wood and Dunlap slammed her into the concrete stairway outside the home and pushed her against a brick wall. Colorado Portal and News | Denverok.com, Colorado Portal | News | Classifieds | Cars. Colorado Supreme Court ruling makes more police internal investigations accessible. 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 roof of a police patrol car at night, with the blue and red lights flashing. I appreciate the difficult, challenging, and often dangerous roles that LPD officers undertake to keep our community safe, and I want to express my gratitude to the men and women of LPD for taking on this important work and for continuing in our larger efforts to improve community policing to best serve our community, Adams said in the release. Permalink. 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. One of them, a Jack Russell terrier, started barking at the officers when they were trying to get the daughter into handcuffs. 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. I was getting my dog, Siers can be heard screaming in the video. 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. 2023 www.coloradoan.com. The investigation offered a positive review on many of the departments policies and practices along with critiques on how to improve in the areas in which it was lacking. 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. 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. It also included that 1,352 of the drivers he pulled over 84% of his stops were let off with just a warning. The city said the findings of the latest review will be made public once it is complete. 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. DENVER OK is your Colorado news, entertainment, music & fashion website. 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. Sady Swanson covers public safety, criminal justice, Larimer County governmentand more throughout Northern Colorado. 3 min read. When S.S. admitted to them that she had slapped the boy, Officer Wood said that she was under arrest, the lawsuit states. The suit also claims Sychla falsified and exaggerated facts in the police report involving Siers. S.S. can be heard crying and yelling in the background. 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.