Colorado Police Face Charges After Violent Arrest
In a department already under investigation, two veteran police officers face felony assault charges for beating and choking an unarmed man during an arrest.
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A police officer in Aurora, Colorado, was charged with felony assault after using his gun to beat an unarmed man and choking him during an arrest that was captured by body cameras, reports the New York Times. Officer John Haubert, a three-year veteran of the Aurora police, who is seen in footage beating and choking the man, was charged with three felonies: attempted first-degree assault, second-degree assault and felony menacing, according to an arrest affidavit. Officer Francine Martinez, a six-year veteran, who was also at the scene, faces criminal charges for not intervening during Officer Haubert’s use of force. Both officers turned themselves in and were bonded out of jail.
The man who was beaten, identified by the police as Kyle Vinson, 29, was wanted on an arrest warrant from Denver, adjacent to Aurora, related to domestic violence. Vinson was taken to a hospital after his arrest and received five stitches for a wound on the top of his head. Chief Wilson said Officer Haubert had been placed on unpaid leave while an internal investigation continues, adding that the investigation was expected to be done next week. Officer Martinez was placed on paid leave. The Aurora police department is currently under investigation into whether it employed “patterns and practices” that may deprive people of their constitutional rights.
