Additionally, he said the department is mandating training around mental health conditions, specifically Alzheimers and dementia, and including the City Attorneys Office and Human Resources staffers on the review of use-of-force reports entered into the BlueTeam software suite. A fourth officer, Sgt. Civil rights attorney Sarah Schielke,. However, he was named in a separate excessive force lawsuit filed in connection with the 2019 arrest of resident Preston Sowl. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. (Warning: The content in this video is graphic and may be disturbing to some viewers.). "It's a really important thing for everyone to know that this is now a criminal investigation," said Hacker. Karen Garner, who has dementia, was arrested last June for walking out of a Walmart in Loveland, Colorado, with $13.88 worth of items, according to an amended lawsuit filed Sunday. / CBS Colorado. Ticer decided on Oct. 1 to fire Ashe for those actions without issuing a final written warning and without consulting with the Loveland Human Resources Department, according to the suit filed by Ashe. We have engaged outside counsel who will be representing the city in this matter, said Garcia. The news comes a day after Garner's attorney released a video that she said shows the officers knew of her injuries and neglected to provide her with medical attention. The lawsuit says that Garner "was bleeding from the nose, forehead, and wrist, all over herself.". Philip Metzler, was also placed on administrative leave but was not among those who lost their jobs. Karen Garner suffered from a broken arm, sprained wrist and separated shoulder during her June 2020 arrest by Hopp. The video shows both officers struggling with Garner. Metzler arrived after Garner was in the vehicle. Further, the investigation showed that Daria Jalali, having witnessed that excessive force, failed to live up to her duties under the law and as a sworn peace officer to either intervene or report that conduct.. Lovelands City Council grappled Tuesday with new footage released in the Karen Garner lawsuit and heard concerns from citizens on the citys handling of the issue. The chief said the video of officers laughing about it does not represent the department. "Hear the pop?". Adams declined to answer a series of questions from councilor Andrea Samson, who mentioned that some community members are asking for the officer to be fired. The pop refers to something in the video, but its not clear what that is. ", A concerned passerby is then heard off-camera pulling over and calling out to the cops: "Do you have to use that much aggression? An audible pop is heard on the camera, something Hopp acknowledged hearing in footage later released by Loveland police. 3.9K 231K views 8 months ago A consulting firm that the city of Loveland brought in to assess the Loveland Police Department last year amid several lawsuits filed over officers' use of. Hopp worked for the Nacogdoches Police Department in Texas and at the Monroe County Sheriffs Office in Florida, according to records obtained by The Denver Post through a records request. A little muddy. Previously, he worked for the Holyoke Enterprise in Holyoke, Colorado. Your Loveland Police Department remains one of my top priorities.. Police were called and the arrest left Garner with multiple injuries, including a broken humerus, a dislocated shoulder and a sprained wrist, according to the lawsuit. Schielke said because of the dementia, Garner forgot to pay for the items, which were retrieved by Walmart employees. Those officers no longer work for the department and their sergeant resigned but Ticer remained in place until now. Ticer, he alleges, did neither. "Our goal at the Loveland Police Department has always been to make our community proud," Ticer told reporters Friday. All rights reserved. Prosecutors with the Eighth Judicial District Attorneys Office on Wednesday filed charges against Austin Hopp and Daria Jalali, the officers who violently arrested Karen Garner in June after receiving a report that she tried to walk out of a Walmart with $13 of merchandise. (Jenny Sparks/Loveland Reporter-Herald), Austin Hopp and Daria Jalali (credit: Larimer County). The lawsuit says Garner had attempted to leave a Walmart with less than $14 worth of items she forgot to purchase. A Loveland law office has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Loveland Police Department and the officers involved in Garner's arrest after it allegedly caused a fractured. Garner's family felt the video in the case proved Hopp was guilty on all counts beyond a reasonable doubt. The city settled that suit for $290,000, and according to previous reporting by the Reporter-Herald, a separate police department internal investigation found Ashe violated department policy surrounding use of force, limits of authority and search and seizure. Thank you for your interest in the Loveland Police Department. Arrest warrants were issued Wednesday for Hopp and Jalali, and McLaughlin said he believed the two former officers planned to turn themselves in. excessive force lawsuit that resulted in a $290,000 settlement by the city in January 2021. I know the lawsuits going on, and thats something we can hide behind but the information needs to be put out there.. All Rights Reserved. Hopp is seen in that video saying the arrest went "great" and commenting about the moment he dislocated Garner's shoulder. While city officials did not immediately respond to questions about the lawsuit, Human Resources Director Julia Holland confirmed in October that Ashe was on unpaid administrative leave as a result of an independent investigation into the departments policies and practices tied to the arrest of Karen Garner in 2020. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. City officials could not be reached Friday to confirm the date his employment ended. Two co-responders help Loveland police officers on calls related to mental health. In October, city spokesperson Tom Hacker told the Coloradoan that Ashe had been placed on unpaid leave as a result of the Garner internal affairs investigation.. Players given Kratom by Colorado coach, police say, Skier Shiffrin's quest for 86th win extended after downhill, 77 inches of snow fall at Colorado ski area in 9 days, Lawyer claims new video shows Loveland police knew of injuries caused to 73-year-old woman during arrest, Larimer DA announces independent investigation after forcible arrest of 73-year-old woman, Loveland Police to require training by Alzheimer's Association after excessive force allegation. He also said the department will review its paid leave policy in the case of extenuating circumstances., While he acknowledged that the steps were not a final solution, he said the steps he listed are only immediate actions we are taking to restore our public trust in our city.. Three Loveland, Colorado, police officers are no longer employed with the department after their involvement in the arrest and booking of a 73-year-old woman with dementia. Ashe filed a lawsuit in 8th Judicial District Court against the city of Loveland in December, alleging that he should not have been fired and asking for his job back. He questioned why council members were not told about the second video prior to it being released by Garners attorney. Austin Hopp Daria. We hope you will find useful information in the links on the left. LPD publicly claimed earlier this month that they were unaware of the incident until the lawsuit was filed, nearly a year after the incident happened. Loveland, Colorado, police officers watch body camera footage of Karen Garner's arrest. The suit claims that the city should not have fired Ashe and asks for a jury trial. May 5, 2022 / 4:00 PM Blackett responds by saying, the bodycam show, as someone giggles. Surveillance video from a police station released Monday by Garner's lawyer shows Hopp, Jalali and Blackett watching Hopp's body camera footage as Garner is handcuffed to a bench in a holding cell a few feet away. Jalali previously worked for the Lafayette Police Department and volunteered with the Weld County Sheriffs Office mounted posse. A Warner Bros. Councilor Richard Ball also warned against inviting a lawsuit by terminating any of the officers in haste. Alert Desk Curator. For that I am most grateful and proud of. Loveland Officers Austin Hopp and Daria Jalali and Community Services Officer Tyler Blackett were all on administrative leave before Chief Robert Ticer announced their departures from the. During an open public comment period, callers who spoke on the issue were unilaterally critical of the police department. Ashe was not involved in Garners arrest nor was he named in that lawsuit. The arresting officer, Austin Hopp, was placed on administrative leave. A Loveland law office has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Loveland Police Department and the officers involved in Garner's arrest after it allegedly caused a fractured. A former Loveland police officer says he was wrongfully fired in October and is asking a jury to overturn the decision and award him back pay, according to a lawsuit filed in December. The Larimer County District Attorney's Office later announced there would be an independent investigation of the incident led by Fort Collins Police with help, as needed, from the U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI. After a brief investigation, Hopp resigned from the Loveland Police Department, as did Jalali. Loveland Police Chief Robert Ticer said at a news conference Friday that Hopp, Blackett and Jalali "are no longer employed" with the department but declined to specify whether they resigned. Bodycams are my favorite thing to watch. There is no estimated time for when Metzler will return from administrative leave, Ticer said. Ticer said the decision was personal and released a statement on Tuesday: I am very proud of the successes that we had during my tenure as chief of police for our community and our department over the last six years. LOVELAND, Colo. (CBS4) - Nearly two years after allegedly breaking the arm of an elderly woman living with dementia during a controversial arrest, former Loveland Police Officer Austin Hopp was sentenced to five years in prison as part of a plea agreement to lessen his jail sentence. LOVELAND, Colo. On Tuesday, the Loveland city manager announced four officers are now on administrative leave following the forcible arrest of Karen Garner. These concerns and future actions include mandatory training on interacting with mentally ill citizens and mandatory training on recognizing Alzheimers and dementia in citizens.. > Below: Body camera footage shows the arrest of the 73-year-old. The officer in the frame is Jalali who tells Garner to "Quit it" as she pulls her arm behind her back. The video shows him commenting on how muddy the officers are. Plus, his attorneys allege the records technician testified that she, not Ashe, ran the search and that the policy surrounding what involves running a query of records is ambiguous. A prosecutor in the Eighth Judicial District Attorneys Office reviewed the body camera footage of the arrest months prior to the lawsuit as part of the criminal case filed against Garner, McLaughlin said Wednesday in response to a reporters question. During this period of time we were able to accomplish many projects such as the building of the Northern Colorado Regional Law Enforcement Training Center and completion of the Combined Regional Information Systems Project (CRISP), both of which support community safety for our officers and the public. Ticer did not confirm whether the three were fired or resigned. A screen capture from body-worn camera video of Karen Garner's 2020 arrest and a portrait of Loveland Police Chief Bob Ticer. Why are only two officers charged?. But as the three of them continue watching, it appears Jalali becomes uncomfortable with the video. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. More:Loveland police buy new body cameras, Tasers to enhance de-escalation, transparency efforts. Metzler and three other Loveland officers involved in Garners arrest are no longer with the department, Fort Collins man sues Loveland police officer, alleges wrongful DUI arrest, currently faces multiple felony charges alleging he assaulted Garner, Loveland police buy new body cameras, Tasers to enhance de-escalation, transparency efforts. Former officer Paul Ashe was fired Oct. 1 after being accused of violating Loveland Police Departments policy on accessing records, according to the lawsuit. "We failed, and we are very sorry for that.". The city launched an independent internal investigation into Garners arrest and an independent assessment of the departments policies, culture and procedures.