Criminal investigation called after veteran is hospitalized following arrest by Colorado Springs PD
By: Multiple civil rights attorneys representing a Black veteran are calling for a criminal investigation after he ended up in the hospital after an interaction with the Colorado Springs Police Department.
According to attorneys, 29-year-old Dalvin Gadson was stopped by officers during a traffic stop on Oct. 9. Gadson, who was homeless at the time, was reportedly pulled over for not having license plates on the back of his sedan.
According to court documents obtained by 13 Investigates, officers also said Gadson was driving his car at 15 mph in a 45 mph.
Once pulled over, the officers stated they observed Gadson exhibiting "slurred speech." One officer stated they "observed a knife" in the center console area of his car, according to court documents.
The officers approached the vehicle and commanded Gadson to step out of the car to be "detained" for driving under the influence. According to arresting documents, the officers also noted the smell of marijuana coming from Gadson's vehicle.
Gadson told officers that he would not get out of his car. Instead, he opened the door and remained sitting in the car with his legs out of the car while smoking a cigarette.
After 30 seconds of a verbal exchange between the officers and Gadson, body-worn camera footage shows officers attempting to remove him from the car with force.
Below is a look at the body camera footage obtained by 13 Investigates. Warning, the video might be upsetting for some viewers.
In the video, two officers are seen punching and kicking Gadson while he was refusing to exit the car. According to arresting documents, an officer claimed Gadson "kicked Officer Hummel in the chest area several times, while becoming more aggressive."
Gadson was arrested on two felony charges of 2nd-degree assault on a police officer and multiple misdemeanor charges including resisting arrest, obstructing a police officer, and driving under the influence.
On November 30, the two felony charges were dismissed by the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office. As of now, Gadson is still facing criminal prosecution for the three misdemeanor charges.
"The officers from Colorado Springs Police Department, they forcibly removed him from the car by using closed fist strikes and to his face body," civil rights attorney Harry Daniels told 13 Investigates. "When he was on the ground, he was kicked in the face, punched in the face multiple times. He was severely bruised, with blood coming from his nose, mouth, and ear."
After the incident, Gadson was taken to a local hospital to be treated for his injuries. Daniel provided photos to 13 Investigates that show the extent of his client's injuries.