Aurora Police Excessive Force Claim Settles for $35,000

In November 2015, officers with the Aurora, Colorado Police Department responded to a domestic call at a private residence at 2:00 a.m. The plaintiff, who had intervened in an alleged physical abuse incident involving his stepdaughter hours earlier, stated that officers, without a warrant, loudly knocked, shone lights into windows, and threatened entry. When the plaintiff came to the door, officers ordered him onto the porch and began a pat-down. The plaintiff alleged that after he mentioned his cat, an officer threw him to the ground onto jagged rocks, causing lasting injuries, particularly to a spine previously damaged in a car accident.

In November 2017, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed suit on behalf of the plaintiff in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. The complaint named the City of Aurora and its officers as defendants, alleging violations of the plaintiff's Fourth Amendment rights and 42 U.S.C. § 1983, specifically concerning unlawful seizure within his home and the use of excessive force. The defendants denied the accusations. The case concluded with a settlement where the plaintiff received $35,000.