A Denver police officer is on suspension for 30 days for his alleged treatment of a handcuffed suspect, according to the Denver Post . Wh...
A Denver police officer is on suspension for 30 days for his alleged treatment of a handcuffed suspect, according to the Denver Post.
What are the details?
Officer Cody Lane and a female officer responded to a February domestic violence call when they encountered the suspect, who remains unnamed at the time of this reporting.
The two officers could reportedly hear a loud fracas taking place inside a Denver apartment and commanded the suspect to come out with his hands up.
According to the Post, the suspect vacated the apartment with his arms raised in the air. He was reportedly compliant when officers ordered him to turn around so they could handcuff him.
"Lane told internal affairs investigators that the man was tensing his muscles and not allowing the officers to cuff him," the Post reported. "Lane also said the man seemed to try to hit him with his elbow, to which Lane responded by punching him several times in the face. Lane said he feared the man would overpower the two officers."
Lane and the second officer were able to cuff the suspect, but Lane reportedly insisted that the unnamed man continued to push back. In response, Lane said he drew his Taser.
According to the Post, video footage of the incident shows the suspect turning toward the female officer in an attempt to "ask her a question."
"After giving warning," the Post noted, "Lane shocked the man in the upper back, near his neck, by placing the Taser directly on him."
Anything else?
Deputy Director of Public Safety Mary Dulacki said that Lane's behavior was excessive because he was "acting defensively, not aggressively" the outlet reported.
"There was no threat or overt act of an imminent assault which would have justified the use of physical strikes to the subject," Dulacki wrote in Lane's disciplinary letter, according to the Post.
According to the letter, Lane joined the department in 2018, and had no previous similar disciplinary issues, the Post reported.
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