Lawsuit filed in death of man who shot K9 Jinx
(EL PASO COUNTY, Colo.) — A civil lawsuit has been filed against law enforcement personnel involved in the 2022 shooting death of Wilford Deweese in Manitou Springs, during which El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO) K9 Jinx was shot and killed in the line of duty.
The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday, April 9, 2024 in the District Court for the State of Colorado on behalf of Deweese’s estate, alleges that four responding officers and deputies—Deputy Ronnie Hancock, Deputy Daniel Lebaron, Officer Levi Hoover, and Officer Jeffrey Schuelke—used excessive force against Deweese.
Law enforcement originally responded to the Royal Tavern on Manitou Avenue around 11 p.m. on April 11, 2022, after an intoxicated Deweese allegedly pointed a gun at a bartender. By the time officers with the Manitou Springs Police Department (MSPD) arrived, Deweese was outside the tavern in a public area, and did not respond to law enforcement’s demands that he approach them with his hands visible for 20 minutes.
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A press release accompanying the lawsuit states that Deweese posed no immediate threat to officers, and that “police first provoked violence” by releasing K9 Jinx and appearing to Deweese as a “firing squad of officers.” Attorneys add that Deweese was on the phone trying to reach an attorney and that he did not at any point aim the gun at officers or try to run away, it was only after K9 Jinx was released and charging at him that he shot at the K9 in self-defense.
“[Deweese] never aimed his gun at the officers or threatened to do so,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit alleges that officers manifested the incident, possibly out of impatience with Deweese.
“After approximately 20 minutes of waiting for him to come out as demanded, the officers simply got tired of waiting and sent the canine to attack while they ‘rushed’ in after the dog with only firearms drawn. The officers created an unreasonable danger for Mr. Deweese that could have only ended one way: a violent assault,” the press release said.
Additionally, the lawsuit argues that officers and deputies had other non-lethal methods at their disposal and that deputies should have been trained not to release a K9 once a suspect had been located and did not present a danger to law enforcement.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Manitou Springs officer involved shooting ruled justified
In August of 2022, the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s (DA) Office ruled the officers’ and deputies’ use of force justified after body-worn camera footage corroborated officer and witness accounts stating that Deweese posed a threat, and that he had fired at officers after he fired at K9 Jinx.
The ruling by the DA also specified that non-lethal methods of detaining Deweese would have been insufficient based on the information that he was armed and had previously brandished the weapon at the Royal Tavern.
FOX21 News reached out to both MSPD and EPSO for comment. Per department policies, neither could comment on pending litigation.
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