Denver police officer fired for excessive force against woman in cell
A Denver police officer has been fired for inappropriate force and failing to report the incident, according to police disciplinary records released Tuesday.
Officer James Medina was dismissed from the police department on March 4, he has hired an attorney and is appealing the termination. "
In a holding cell at the station, Medina told Trujillo to take off her shoes and belt, but Trujillo refused, the report said.
After a struggle, recorded on camera, in which Medina can be heard telling Trujillo to "not bite" him, Medina is able to "pin her down and he removed her belt and shoes."
During the struggle, as Medina pinned Trujillo's neck with his knee, she appeared to go limp, the report said.
Medina used "inappropriate force when he engaged in a physical struggle" in the holding cell with Trujillo, according to the report, placing his knee on her neck which "likely caused her to become unconscious."
Medina should have requested a female officer to help in the process of securing Trujillo's belt and shoes, the report said. Medina "did not obtain any medical attention" for Trujillo after the struggle, he did "not report his use of force" to command staff and he "did not prepare a Use of Force Report."
Video at link:
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_27682533/denver-police-officer-fired-excessive-force-against-woman
