Denver, CO

Denver to pay $500,000 to settle misconduct lawsuits against police officers, sheriff’s deputies

Published

2 weeks ago

June 10, 2024

Denver to pay $500,000 to settle misconduct lawsuits against police officers, sheriff’s deputies

The Denver City Council on Monday is poised to approve a combined $500,000 in payments to settle two lawsuits that accused police officers and sheriff’s deputies of violent misconduct.

The larger of the two settlements — $400,000 — stems from a case filed last spring on behalf of Scott Peters.

Denver police officers and paramedics encountered Peters on the afternoon of April 25, 2021, in a parking lot near Empower Field at Mile High. Officers found a bag of what they believed to be cocaine inside his car, and paramedics injected Peters with sedatives without his permission, according to his lawsuit, first filed in March 2023.

After a stay at Denver Health, Peters was transported to the downtown jail. When attempting to move him from a wheelchair into a cell, deputies became needlessly aggressive, Peters’ attorneys claim.

Deputies yanked Peters out of the chair and “brutalized” him inside the cell for nearly five minutes, according to the lawsuit, which conflicts with official department accounts of the incident.

One deputy, identified in the complaint as Daniel Rodriguez, used a pair of nunchucks to control Peters’ right arm, according to the lawsuit — and eventually applied enough force to break his wrist and sever two arteries. The injury required emergency surgery and left Peters with permanent damage, the suit says.

Rodriguez was suspended last year for three days for using excessive force against Peters. The incident prompted the Denver Sheriff Department to ban the use of specialized nunchucks for law enforcement officers.

The second settlement stems from accusations that three Denver police officers entered Lidya Ryans’ home in the early morning hours of April 20, 2021, without a warrant and violently arrested her without cause.

Denver is poised to pay $100,000 to settle the matter.

Ryans called police late on April 19 to request assistance because her then-husband was causing a commotion in the home while her adult son, who suffers from complications related to severe brain damage, was sleeping. When officers arrived, the husband was leaving the house and there was no need for police to enter, according to the lawsuit.

Officers entered the home against Ryans’ wishes, the lawsuit alleges, and then became aggressive with her, waking her son. Officer Grisleit Blanco and Cpl. Patrick Smith punched Ryans in the face and head while arresting her, the suit says.

Ryans was charged with assaulting the two officers, a case that was later dismissed by the Denver District Attorney’s Office, according to the suit.

Between 2017 and 2023, Denver agreed to pay a combined $35.3 million to settle large legal claims brought against the city’s police and sheriff’s departments. That’s 89% of all city settlement payments approved by the council over that period.

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Denver, CO

UFC Report: Denver Event Loses Co-Main Fight Due to Injury

Published

2 hours ago

June 26, 2024

Press Room

UFC Report: Denver Event Loses Co-Main Fight Due to Injury

Mike Mallott vs. Gilbert Urbina is reportedly off UFC Denver on July 13 due to injury. The news was reported by Aaron Bronsteter on X on June 26.

No official announcements have been made, and neither fighter has released statements via social media.

Report: UFC Denver Loses its Main Event with Top Contender’s Withdrawal

If the fight is cancelled, UFC Denver will have lost its originally scheduled main and co-main fights within the space of a week. Maycee Barber’s withdrawal from the main event was reported on June 24, possibly leaving the event without a marquee fight.

Still, Rose Namajunas might have a replacement, as flyweight contender Tracy Cortez is stepping up to face the former champ, sources told MMA Fighting on June 24. Cortez was scheduled to face Miranda Maverick on July 20 but will be taking the new fight a week earlier than scheduled.

According to the news and reports, here’s what UFC Denver looks like now:

Rose Namajunas vs. Tracy Cortez – Reported
Gabriel Bonfim vs. Ange Loosa
Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Muslim Salikhov
Luana Santos vs. Mariya Agapova
Viviane Araujo vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius
Cody Brundage vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan
Christian Rodriguez vs. Julian Erosa
Josh Fremd vs. Andre Petroski
Nazim Sadykhov vs. MarQuel Mederos

Cancelled Fights

Fans should expect to see some announcements from the UFC in the future to flesh out the nine-fight Denver card.

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Denver, CO

SUV stolen in Denver with foster kittens inside

Published

9 hours ago

June 26, 2024

Press Room

SUV stolen in Denver with foster kittens inside

DENVER (KDVR) — A Colorado cat rescue group is scrambling after its co-founder said two foster kittens were stolen, along with the vehicle they were sitting in, on Monday morning in Denver.

Kris Meding, co-founder of Colorado Feline Foster Rescue, said the foster kittens were sitting inside a “socializing pouch” inside a sport utility vehicle, on Washington Street between 11th and 12th avenues. She said the foster parent had started the vehicle and briefly stepped away.

A Colorado cat rescue group is scrambling after its co-founder said two foster kittens were stolen, along with the vehicle they were sitting in, on Monday morning in Denver. (Colorado Feline Foster Rescue)

Within a few moments, the vehicle and kittens were gone.

“Stepped out of the car for a minute to grab something else, came back and the car was gone with her purse, her phone and the kittens in it,” Meding said.

The vehicle is a 2005 Toyota 4Runner, license plate BQAX60. Meding said both felines are chipped and were rescued from Carlsbad, New Mexico.

She said the foster parent has filed a report with the Denver Police Department.

Colorado Feline Foster Rescue has 170 cats in foster homes. Currently, the all-volunteer organization has 90-100 foster families. Last year, the group adopted out 1,200 cats.

For more information, please contact info@coloradofelinefosterrescue.org or call 303-888-7238.

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Denver, CO

Over 400 flights delayed Tuesday amid high winds at Denver International Airport

Published

17 hours ago

June 25, 2024

Press Room

Over 400 flights delayed Tuesday amid high winds at Denver International Airport

More than 400 flights were delayed Tuesday afternoon at Denver International Airport as high winds blew across the area, according to flight tracking data from FlightAware.

There were 406 flights delayed and five canceled as of 5:20 p.m. as wind gusts at the airport hit 43 mph, according to the National Weather Service. Between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., 70 flights were delayed and one was canceled, according to live flight tracking by FlightAware’s Misery Map.

United, Alaska Airlines, Southwest, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, Key Lime Air, SkyWest, WestJet, American Airlines and Air Canada all had delayed or canceled flights.

Southwest had nearly half of the delayed flights, with 168 delays and one cancellation. United delayed 128 flights, according to FlightAware.

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