Two Colorado Deputies Fired Over Unjustified Taser Use
In a recent development, two Colorado sheriff’s deputies have been dismissed from their positions following an investigation that unveiled their repeated and unjustified use of Tasers on a man. The Las Animas County Sheriff’s office confirmed this incident on Monday.
The deputies in question, Deputy Mikhail Noel and Lt. Henry Trujillo, were found to be in violation of several agency policies. These violations included using a Taser on Kenneth Espinoza while he was handcuffed and providing inaccurate accounts of the events. This information was disclosed by the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office.
Furthermore, investigators have recommended initiating a criminal probe into the matter. They allege that the actions of Noel and Trujillo during a routine traffic stop escalated the use of physical force, resulting in bodily injury and a false arrest. However, it remains unclear whether a criminal investigation has been initiated.
Attorney Kevin Mehr, representing Espinoza in lawsuits against the deputies and the sheriff’s office, commented on the situation, stating, “The existence of excessive and unlawful force was so apparent here that there’s really only one conclusion. This is the most outrageous thing I’ve ever seen.”
The Las Animas County Sheriff’s office disclosed that Noel and Trujillo were terminated from their positions on August 25. However, they refrained from providing further comments due to the pending lawsuit filed by Espinoza.
Efforts to contact Noel and Trujillo or their attorney, David Goddard, were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.
The events leading up to this investigation unfolded when Espinoza’s son was pulled over for a routine traffic stop on November 29, 2022. During the traffic stop, with his father following behind, Espinoza pulled over to support his son. At this point, Trujillo and Noel ordered him to leave the scene.
Initially hesitant to comply, Espinoza began to drive away when the deputies instructed him to stay. According to the report, Noel, alleging that Espinoza had attempted to strike him with his truck, pointed his firearm at Espinoza. Subsequently, Espinoza was handcuffed, informed of his arrest, and then subjected to a Taser.
Noel and Trujillo asserted that Espinoza was uncooperative, resisting arrest, and attempting to harm the deputies by kicking them.
The investigation contradicted these claims, finding that Espinoza did not attempt to strike Noel with his truck and never actively used force against Trujillo or Noel. Undersheriff Reynaldo Santistevan, in a letter dated August 10, recommended the dismissal of both deputies after reviewing body camera footage and the investigative report. He also noted that they had failed to de-escalate the situation, exacerbating it instead.
Santistevan admitted that initially, he had only checked the deputies’ use-of-force reports for grammatical and spelling errors and had not reviewed the body camera footage. He acknowledged this as a mistake in hindsight.
In an interview conducted as part of the investigation, an unnamed local police officer mentioned that there had been “numerous” complaints regarding Trujillo’s behavior in the past. These complaints were reportedly forwarded to the district attorney’s office, but no action was taken.
Espinoza is pursuing a lawsuit against the Las Animas County Sheriff’s Office, citing failure to adequately train and discipline its employees.