Yes, they really can do whatever they want
After much public outcry earlier this year over some of Denver PD's more vicious assaults on Denver's civilian population, not to mention the news that they lead the nation in excessive force complaints, a couple of officers were finally fired.
The two officers were caught on video beating a kid coming out of a bar with no provocation and then lying about it in their official report in an attempt to trump up charges against him. (Trumping up charges being something they do best.)
Well, those two officers have been reinstated.
From 9News, thanks to West Denver Copwatch.
"They didn't deserve termination," Nick Rogers, president of the Police Protective Association, said. "At the end of the day, you actually have human beings who were out trying to protect the public and were doing it and were darn good cops at the time. They will come back and they will be good cops again."
Rogers says Garcia should be "ashamed of himself" for judging Murr and Sparks on nine seconds of video, along with the media. While the city is expected to appeal, Rogers said the union "will stand behind them until the bitter end."
Late Tuesday, new Manager of Safety Ashley Kilroy said she supports Garcia's decision to terminate the officers.
"I cannot and do not tolerate excessive force in our city's safety agencies or departing from the truth by any of our employees," Kilroy said in a statement.
The beating victims, Shawn Johnson and Michael DeHerrera, told 9NEWS they're confused, shocked and sick to their stomachs over the reversal.
"I don't think I need someone to say, 'Yes, Shawn, you were right, your civil rights were violated and these cops were out of line.' I don't need to hear that because I know what happened that night," Johnson said. "But I do expect people who are put in certain position to protect me, to protect me when I can't protect myself."
"It was finally clear what was right and what was wrong and everybody agreed that they were wrong," DeHerrera said. "So now to put that back up into the air is just ridiculous."
Immediately after they were arrested April 4, 2009, they were charged with misdemeanors and faced jail time for allegedly interfering with officers and not following orders. The young men had been kicked out of a bar after one of them used the women's restroom.
Johnson was considering cutting a plea deal when their attorneys learned city cameras had captured their arrests on camera. The video showed the officers tackling and hitting the men repeatedly with a metal weapon while they were not resisting. Police records later showed the officers lied on their reports.
The video also showed DeHerrera calling his father for help. Anthony DeHerrera, a Pueblo Sheriff's Department deputy, was upset at the panel's decision to put the officers back on the force.
"I'm shocked, appalled, disappointed. We can't believe it. There are knots in our stomachs," Anthony DeHerrera said. "I guess we had it wrong. Denver Police can do whatever they want to whomever they want and get away with it."
"I'm in fear for Michael's safety now with that these two knuckleheads are back on the street," Anthony DeHerrera said.
As we all should be. Because, like the rest of the Denver Police Department, they're accountable to no one, and knowing it, they'll happily beat you into a pulp with no provocation whatsoever.
Here's the video. I've never heard a good explanation as to why the camera pans away just as the cop's really laying into the kid, but everything you need is here.
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