Denver, CO
‘I’ll never be the person that I was’: Denver police recruit recalls ‘brutal hazing’
Former Denver Police Department recruit Victor Moses spoke with USA TODAY about his lawsuit against the department and what happened the terrible day that a training drill cost him his legs.
Victor Moses knew he wanted to be a police officer in middle school.
He was introduced to the profession while he was growing up in Tallahassee, Florida in 2005, when he would see a neighbor’s friend who worked for the Tallahassee Police Department coming and going from the job.
“I just enjoyed hearing her tell her stories and seeing her,” Moses recently told USA TODAY in an interview. “I was always intrigued as a child just watching her and seeing the police car.”
But tragedy struck not long after Moses decided to pursue his dream of becoming an officer 18 years later. And it’s a dream that may never come true.
During a training exercise while he was a recruit for the Denver Police Department, Moses says that department officials and paramedics forced him to participate in “Fight Day,” a “brutal hazing ritual” that cost Moses both his legs, according to the a lawsuit filed about a month ago.
The lawsuit alleges that Moses’ mistreatment during the training was the culmination of a “culture of violence, hazing, and training that causes unnecessary injuries among recruits,” pointing to a 2014 incident where a trainer allegedly threatened to, “slap the (expletive) out of” the recruit and put the recruit in a chokehold.
“I wish I would have gone further into research,” said Moses, 29. “One shouldn’t have to apply to a police academy and say ‘Am I going to be in danger at an academy?’”
What happened during police training?
On Jan. 6, 2023, Moses was participating in a so-called dynamic action drill during Denver police academy training, according to the lawsuit, which says the drill involves four stations intended to teach future officers how to escalate and de-escalate force. It’s also known as “Fight Day” in the department, the lawsuit says.
At the second station, Moses was knocked to the ground, hit his head and passed out in a simulated attack by multiple department personnel, the lawsuit says. The personnel then forced Moses to his feet to continue the drill until he passed out again when an officer called paramedics over, the lawsuit says.
Moses told the paramedics that he was “extremely fatigued” and experiencing “extreme leg cramping,” a sign of distress in people with sickle cell trait, something Moses informed the department he had in a police application form, the lawsuit says.
Although paramedics found that Moses’ blood pressure was extremely low, they cleared him to continue training, the lawsuit says. But, it continues, Moses was so exhausted that officers had to bring him to the third station, a ground-fighting drill during which an officer put his body weight on Moses, causing the recruit to say, “I can’t breathe,” before he became unresponsive.
“I felt something I’ve never felt before,” Moses said. “It’s really hard to explain, like, how it feels like to die, and I’ve never had that, but I felt what death feels like.”
What happened to Victor Moses after the training drill?
Moses was taken to a hospital. He required multiple surgeries to save his life, had to have his legs amputated and was hospitalized for four months, according to the suit.
Moses says he didn’t really understand the extent of his injuries at first because of how heavily medicated he was.
“When they started weaning down on the drugs, I felt, ‘Why am I still here? Why am I not home, what’s going on?’” Moses said, with the traces of pain evident in his voice. “You’re just in pain, your parents are there for some reason and it was just living hell. It really became real to me when my classmates were visiting me and started explaining what happened and then you see your rotting body.”
Denver Police did not respond to a request for comment.
Lawsuit accuses paramedics of lying to doctors
Moses’ lawsuit includes multiple text exchanges from recruits who were there during the training that day Moses was hurt.
“What got me was the lack of attention from the paramedics, they should have stepped in way sooner and stopped it,” then-recruit Zachary Vasquez said in a group chat, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges that paramedics with Denver Health lied to doctors at the hospital, denying that there was a “significant traumatic mechanism of injury,” causing Moses’ care to be compromised.
“I mean the bulk of us witnessed him fall headfirst on the tile, they don’t have much of an argument against it,” Vasquez said in the group chat, the lawsuit says.
Moses developed severe compartment syndrome, rhabdomyolysis, malignant hyperthermia, and severe hyperkalemia in the hospital, according to the lawsuit.
The paramedics helped “enable continued violence and brutality, holding the gate open for additional infliction of trauma even if the recruit has been rendered unconscious,” according to Darold Killmer, Moses’ attorney.
The lawsuit alleges the department continued to cover up their actions, telling news media at the time that Moses’ injuries were caused by undisclosed conditions.
Denver Health declined to comment but pointed to a previous statement to USA TODAY saying that “safety and well-being is a top priority for Denver Health and its paramedics.”
Moses willing to return to policing
Moses told USA TODAY that despite the traumatic incident, he would be willing to work in or around the policing profession in the future.
“I will always support the police. There’s so many good police officers out there,” Moses said. “Yes, my life was ruined, I was turned permanently disabled. But it doesn’t negate the fact that there are a lot of good cops out there. It’s just unfortunate when the actions of a bad police officer, in this case, a group of bad officers, overshadow their work.”
If returning to a police force is not possible, Moses would consider being an advocate for police recruits.
“I know what it’s like, it’s a six-month commitment. It’s not easy. And God forbid if there was ever any other hazing in the future” Moses said. “All police start as a recruit and it’s really important to have good police recruits that aren’t abused and demoralized.”
Moses underwent his most recent surgery in July and continues to recover from his injuries.
“I never feel like it will never be a 100% recovery,” Moses said. “Yes, I’m doing therapy but I’ll never be who I was when I woke up the morning of January 6. I’ll never be that person that I was.”
Denver, CO
Wolves Back Up the Big Talk With Blowout Win Over Denver in Game 3
“They’re all bad defenders.”
Jaden McDaniels called out Denver’s stars after Game 2, and the Wolves proved him right by bulldozing the Nuggets 113-96 in Game 3 Thursday night in Minneapolis
Minnesota has taken control of the series with a 2-1 lead, and Game 4 is in Minneapolis on Saturday night. With another win, the Wolves would lead the series 3-1 and put the Nuggets in a must-win situation entering Game 5 on Monday in Denver.
The Wolves attacked the paint and made Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Cam Johnson, Tim Hardaway Jr., and anyone else McDaniels trash-talked after Game 2, from start to finish. Minnesota held Denver to a season low 11 points in the first quarter, built a 61-39 lead at the half, and led by as many as 27 points in the second half.
The damage was done despite Anthony Edwards battling foul trouble, scoring only 17 points in 24 minutes. Julius Randle also struggled to score, finishing with 15 points on 6-for-15 shooting. Naz Reid had just five points in 17 minutes off the bench.
So who killed Denver? The others.
Ayo Dosunmu was a beast with 25 points off the bench, most of his damage coming in transition or simply blowing by Denver’s defense for layups in the half-court.
McDaniels was a monster, capping his big night with a three-pointer and then a monster jam in traffic late in the fourth quarter to put an exclamation point on the blowout. He finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds, knocking down 9 of 13 shots, all while playing relentless defense. Prime Video analyst and NBA Hall of Fame inductee Dwyane Wade said McDaniels’ defense was so tight that it was like he was wearing Murray’s jersey.
The Wolves scored 68 points in the paint, compared to 34 for the Nuggets.
Rudy Gobert and Donte DiVincenzo were also great. Gobert finished with 10 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks. DiVincenzo had 15 points, seven assists, and four steals.
Jokic couldn’t buy a bucket, largely because Gobert, the four-time Defensive Player of the Year, dominated him. The three-time MVP finished with 27 points and 15 rebounds, but he shot just 7 of 26 from the field.
Murray also struggled, scoring 16 points on 5-for-17 shooting.
The Nuggets shot 34.1%, their worst shooting game of the entire season.
Up next: Game 4, Saturday at 7:30 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on ABC.
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Denver, CO
Roadrunner spotted far from its usual range in Denver surprises birders
A Greater Roadrunner sighting in Denver has birders buzzing with no sign of Wile E. Coyote in pursuit far from the species’ usual range.
File photo: A Greater Roadrunner in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 3, 2026. (Image credit: David Becker/Getty Images)
A Greater Roadrunner sighting in Denver is stirring interest among birders after the cuckoo was seen by multiple people in recent weeks.
According to a report on eBird.org, a Greater Roadrunner was spotted on April 15 along South Parker Road in Denver. While this is the only report on eBird for Denver, other recent sightings have sparked interest in the local birding scene, with mentions appearing on the Birds of Colorado Facebook group and other birding websites.
Audubon Denver Master Birder Crystal Reser told AccuWeather that while the sighting is “unusual,” it is not a “rare bird alert” like a more recent sighting of a white-faced ibis in Colorado, a species that typically inhabits the southeastern United States. Still, the roadrunner is well north of where the birds are usually found.
Greater roadrunners are native to Texas, Oklahoma and the far southeastern corner of Colorado. They are not typically found in urban environments.
“They do like to run,” Reser said, referencing the Looney Tunes cartoon. “They spend most of their time on the ground, hunting snakes, insects and bugs and chasing them on the ground.”
Reser said the bird was spotted in a congested part of the city near the High Line Canal, which could provide clues about how it ended up so far north of its usual habitat.
“My guess, he followed the greenbelt heading north from Colorado Springs to Denver,” Reser said.
This Denver newcomer may also be young. A juvenile bird could have become disoriented while searching for food or exploring. It could also be seeking a new habitat. Reser said no Greater Roadrunners have ever nested in the Denver metro area.
“We are seeing more kind of unusual birds showing up in Colorado,” Reser said.
Spring migration is a good time for birders to spot non-native species, but Reser said roadrunners do not typically migrate far from their southwestern habitat.
Still, she said the sighting highlights how bird-watching can reveal broader environmental patterns. Storms and weather changes can also push birds into unusual areas.
“The important thing is to pay attention to what is happening in nature,” she said. “Birds are one of the best ways to be in tune with nature…and trying to do something to improve it.”
Providing water in birdbaths and planting native plants are two ways people can help their feathered friends.
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Denver, CO
Red flag fatigue? Colorado sees near-record number of critical fire days
BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — If you feel like we’ve had a lot of red flag days across Colorado since the start of the year, you’re right.
According to our Denver7 weather team, there have been 369 red flag warnings across the state since the start of 2026, marking the second-highest number recorded to date since 2005. In 2023, there were 408 red flag warnings from Jan. 1 through April 22 of that year, according to Denver7 meteorologist Danielle Grant
A red flag day happens when warm temperatures, low humidity and strong winds combine to create critical fire weather conditions.
▶️ WATCH: Denver7’s Claire Lavezzorio talked red flag fatigue with residents and officials
Colorado sees second-highest number of red flag days since 2005
In Boulder County, officials say the frequency of these warnings in their area is breaking records, too.
“We’ve had 21 thus far since the beginning of 2026, and that number is almost as many as we’ve had in the previous years combined, 2024 and 2025,” said Vinnie Montez, a spokesperson for the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.
Today’s Forecast
Fierce winds, high fire danger Thursday across the Denver metro, plains
With the high volume of alerts, Montez worries the frequent warnings will become white noise.
Denver7 asked him if there is some red flag fatigue in the community.
“When you see the same commercial come up over and over again, you’re kind of like, flip the channel, right? I think that can happen in what we’re messaging,” Montez said.
At Chautauqua Park in Boulder, residents are taking note of how often these days are happening.
“It’s almost every day,” Mac Whittington said.
Local
‘We’ve never seen this’: Rare fire danger grips Colorado mountain towns
Levi Brown, a Boulder resident, pointed out that all the ingredients for high fire danger are present.
“You look around, there’s a lot of fuel in the ground, a lot of wind blowing right now, in fact,” Brown said.
For Brown, who has lived in the area for 26 years, every warning carries weight.
“It seems to be more prevalent now. And I don’t take it lightly,” Brown said.
For those who do not take the days seriously, Whittington offered a word of caution.
“Hopefully we don’t have to learn the lesson the hard way,” he said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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