Current:Home > NewsPolice recruit who lost both legs in ‘barbaric hazing ritual’ sues Denver, paramedics and officers -Wealth Nexus Pro
Police recruit who lost both legs in ‘barbaric hazing ritual’ sues Denver, paramedics and officers
View
Date:2025-04-12 09:21:47
DENVER (AP) — A police recruit who had to have both of his legs amputated after losing consciousness and repeatedly collapsing during fight training at Denver’s police academy is suing those who allegedly forced him to continue the “barbaric hazing ritual” after paramedics ignored warning signs.
Victor Moses, 29, alleges in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that aggressive officers knocked him down multiple times in the second round of “fight day” last year, with one of them shoving him off the mat and causing him to hit his head on the floor. He said he was pressured to continue, with officers picking him up and setting him back on his feet, before paramedics standing by were asked to check him out, the lawsuit said.
Moses told them he had the sickle cell trait, which puts him at an increased risk of medical complications from high-intensity exercise. He also said he had very low blood pressure and complained that his legs were cramping, according to the lawsuit. The symptoms are danger signs for people with his condition.
Neverthelsss, paramedics cleared Moses to return to training, which the suit alleges was a decision made to support the police.
The type of training described in the lawsuit is common in the United States and helps prepare recruits for scenarios they could face on patrol, said Ian Adams, an assistant professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of South Carolina. Minor injuries are common and occasionally recruits die, often because of an underlying medical condition, he said.
The Denver Police Department declined to comment on the allegations, saying it does not speak about pending litigation. Telephone calls and emails seeking comment were also left with the city attorney’s office; and Denver Health, the hospital the paramedics worked for.
All recruits must complete the training to prepare them physically and mentally for fights they could encounter on the street. It includes having recruits punch and kick a dummy or a trainer holding pads, using a padded baton to fight trainers, wrestling and practicing to arrest a suspect who assaults them, according to the lawsuit.
The legal action alleges the practice is an unnecessarily violent rite of passage that recruits have to endure to be accepted into the police “fraternity.” It notes that other recruits suffered injuries before Moses started his drills, including one person whose nose was broken.
The lawsuit also claims that training teaches recruits that excessive force is “officially tolerated, and indeed culturally expected.”
Moses’ lawyers, John Holland and Darold Killmer, say that mindset has nurtured a violent police force and led to lawsuits costing Denver millions of dollars.
“Fight Day both encourages Denver police to engage in brutality and to be indifferent to the injuries they inflict,” Holland said.
The lawsuit claims paramedics cleared Moses to continue the training on Jan. 6, 2023 even though he was not able to stand or walk to the next round — wrestling. Instead, a trainer came to Moses and got on top of him. The recruit soon said he could not breathe, became unresponsive and was taken to the hospital, according to the lawsuit.
“If this had been a football game or boxing match, the head injury and losses of consciousness would have ended any continued participation or fighting immediately,” Moses’ lawyers argue.
The lawsuit alleges that Moses was essentially in police custody after becoming incapacitated and the victim of excessive force as the training continued without him being able to consent.
Moses used to spend free time going to breweries and hiking with friends, but now he is largely confined to his apartment in Denver. He is learning to walk again with prosthetics, but cannot electronically charge them himself because of damage also done to his hands. Despite taking powerful opioids, he lives with constant phantom pain from the limbs he no longer has.
The former rental car manager wanted to be a police officer because he thought it would be a more interesting and meaningful career for someone who enjoys connecting with people.
When Moses was eventually taken to the hospital, his lawyers say police mislead doctors by not revealing that he had hit his head on the floor, compromising the care doctors were able to provide.
Moses remained in the hospital for over four months, had both of his legs amputated below the knee and underwent surgery in July to try to restore his grip in one hand.
Now he wonders what would have happened if police had just stopped the training.
“I more than likely could still have my legs. I more than likely could still have my sanity. I could have been a police officer had you just not hazed us,” he told The Associated Press.
veryGood! (44783)
Related
- What to watch: O Jolie night
- Roaring Kitty is back. What to know about the investor who cashed in on GameStop in 2021
- Kyle Richards Shares Surprising Reaction to Mauricio Umansky Moving Out of Their House
- Ippei Mizuhara arraignment: Ohtani's ex-interpreter pleads not guilty with plea deal in place
- Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
- Cargo ship that caused Baltimore bridge collapse had power blackout hours before leaving port
- Reports: Wisconsin-Green Bay to name Fox Sports radio host Doug Gottlieb as basketball coach
- Harry and Meghan wrap up a very royal looking tour of Nigeria
- Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
- NFL scores legal victory in ex-Raiders coach Jon Gruden's lawsuit against league
Ranking
- Dick Vitale announces he is cancer free: 'Santa Claus came early'
- United Methodists scrap their anti-gay bans. A woman who defied them seeks reinstatement as pastor
- `Micropreemie’ baby who weighed just over 1 pound at birth goes home from Illinois hospital
- House Speaker Mike Johnson defends Trump outside New York trial in GOP show of support
- Most popular books of the week: See what topped USA TODAY's bestselling books list
- Fed’s Powell downplays potential for a rate hike despite higher price pressures
- Chicago Fire Star Taylor Kinney Marries Model Ashley Cruger
- For $6.6 million, this southern California town can be yours: What to know about Campo
Recommendation
2 killed, 3 injured in shooting at makeshift club in Houston
California mother drowns while trying to rescue daughter from San Joaquin River: Officials
Denver Nuggets show they are clear favorites to win back-to-back NBA titles
Survey finds 8,000 women a month got abortion pills despite their states’ bans or restrictions
The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
Bachelor Nation's Daisy Kent Confirms New Romance After Joey Graziadei Breakup
What to watch in Tuesday’s Maryland US Senate primaries
Colorado city agrees to settle police beating lawsuit for $2.1 million