Remember The Smiling Cop Who Beat The Black Vet? Well... The DOJ Remembers Him Too
About this time last year, photos were leaked of a Colorado Springs Police Officer smiling a little too hard while showing his bloodied knuckles after violently arresting a Black man. He and his colleagues escaped punishment from the police brutality allegations but the DOJ is asking to spin the block with their own probe.
On October 9, 2022, Gadson was pulled over by Officer Matthew Anderson for driving under the speed limit and having no license plate displayed. However, the body camera footage shows Gadson’s vehicle parked and the officer mentioning nothing about the driving speed. At the time of the traffic stop, Gadson was unhoused and suffering PTSD from serving in the Army. Authorities said the responding officers had suspicions of Gadson being under the influence and that he refused to exit the vehicle when asked.
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Read from the DOJ’s letter:
The Office of Justice Programs, Office for Civil Rights, has received a Complaint against the Colorado Springs Police Department (the Department). The Complainant, Dalvin Gadson Ochoa, alleged that the Department discriminated against him based on his race. Specifically, the Complainant alleged that the Department’s officers used excessive force during a traffic siop on October 9, 2022. The incident garnered public interest and generated several media reports.
The Complainant also filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, Civil Action No. 1:22-cv-03278, which involves similar allegations as his OCR Complaint.” The OCR will suspend its review of the Complaint (23-OCR-0142) during the pendency of the federal court proceedings.
Given the nature of the law enforcement misconduct allegation, we are referring the enclosed Complaint to your office for review and appropriate action.
News of the traffic stop spread quickly after images of Gadson lying bloodied on the ground circulated the media as well as one officer smiling while showing off his bloodied knuckles. His attorneys said Gadson suffered eye injuries, a ruptured eardrum and chest wall contusions, via KOAA. The DOJ’s inquiry comes over a year after an internal investigation cleared the officers of any wrongdoing.
“By referring this case for criminal investigation, the Department of Justice is putting these officers on notice,” said attorney Kevin Mehr. “The CSPD may not take brutality seriously, but the DOJ does.”
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