Denver reaches $1.2 million settlement with unarmed teen who was beaten by police officers, shocked with Taser

The metropolis of Denver agreed to a $1.2 cardinal colony successful an excessive unit suit filed aft 3 constabulary officers bushed an unarmed teen and shocked him with a Taser portion helium was lying connected the ground.

The colony ends 3 years of fallout that followed the 2018 incident, which prompted a transgression proceedings of 1 of the Debcwe constabulary officers progressive and the officer’s aboriginal resignation.

The teen, Malow Mayek, sued the metropolis successful 2020, alleging that the officers violated his civilian rights and that mediocre grooming and oversight by the Denver Police Department allowed the incidental to occur.

The Denver City Council inactive needs to o.k. the colony successful the national lawsuit. The assembly could ballot arsenic soon arsenic Monday connected a solution approving the payment.

“This was an perfectly egregious civilian rights violation,” David Lane, Mayek’s attorney, said Thursday. “Mr. Mayek’s injuries person been life-altering. I’m gladsome to spot Denver stepping up to the sheet and compensating him.”

Mayek suffered a breached limb that required surgery, a breached chemoreceptor and aggregate lacerations from the incident. The injuries inflicted connected Mayek by the officers person permanently constricted his mobility, Lane said.

“There are galore things that helium utilized to bash that helium tin nary longer do,” Lane said.

Denver constabulary officers contacted Mayek, past 17, connected Aug. 22, 2018, aft receiving respective 911 calls astir a antheral acting unusual and screaming obscenities adjacent Ruby Hill Park successful southwest Denver. While constabulary searched the park, they received different telephone astir a antheral with a weapon chasing someone.

Sgt. Joseph Rodarte and Officer James Martinez recovered Mayek, but the teen ran from the officers. The teen aboriginal told constabulary that helium had tried LSD for the archetypal clip that time and believed the pursuing officers were demons.

Mayek ran into the parking batch of a adjacent car shop, wherever helium tried to flight pursuing officers by moving past them, assemblage camera footage shows. The teen fell arsenic helium neared the officers and Rodarte struck the teen successful the head, backmost and legs with his baton six times successful a 24-second span, assemblage camera footage shows. Martinez and different officer, Douglas Watson, utilized a Taser portion the teen was connected the ground.

Denver prosecutors charged Rodarte with battle for his onslaught connected Mayek, but a Denver assemblage successful 2019 acquitted him. Rodarte, who had a long past of excessive unit complaints during his 20-year career, resigned successful June 2020 earlier Denver Department of Public Safety officials could occurrence him.

Watson and Martinez, the 2 officers who utilized the Taser connected the teen, received 10 days of unpaid suspension successful transportation to the incident.

The suit alleged that the Denver Police Department “fostered an situation and civilization of instrumentality enforcement brutality and deliberate indifference to the law and statutory rights of citizens and residents” by allowing Rodarte to enactment connected the unit contempt his past of excessive unit complaints.

“Denver has cultivated an situation and civilization of instrumentality enforcement brutality and deliberate indifference to the law and statutory rights of citizens and residents,” the suit states. “This discourse enabled the defendants’ onslaught connected plaintiff. This battle was foreseeable and afloat successful keeping with a long-established signifier of behaviour from DPD officers.”