Denver Authorities Pay $60k and Acknowledge Wrongdoing: White Cop Punched Handcuffed Latino Woman in the Face, Called Her “Whore" & Choked Her w/his Knee until Unconscious in Holding Cell

From [HERE] The Denver City Council approved a payout of $60,000 Monday to settle a claim of excessive force against two Denver police officers in 2014.

Officers James Medina and Cheryl Smith arrested Seryina Trujillo in July of that year after she allegedly interfered with attempts to take her friend to detox, according to court documents. Police claim [as they often do as a defense, undetectable by poor video] Trujillo spit on Smith before the officers took her to a holding cell at a police facility [at any rate there is no such thing as a “spit defense.”.]

That’s where a video camera caught Medina knocking Trujillo’s head against the wall and holding her down by the neck with his knee, causing Trujillo to pass out, the complaint against the officers states. Medina told Trujillo, “Don’t cry now” and “Tell it to God.”

Medina was ultimately fired from the force. The Denver Police Department and the Department of Safety found that Medina had used excessive force.

“The Seryina Trujillo case was settled to everyone’s satisfaction,” David Lane, Trujillo’s attorney, told Colorado Public Radio. “Denver is acknowledging wrongdoing so that’s always a good thing.”

According to a court order denying a motion to dismiss filed by Denver authorities:

On July 10, 2014, Trujillo and a friend, Daniel Adams, were eating at a Burger King in Denver. (ECF No. 1 ¶ 17.) A homeless, intoxicated man was sitting outside the Burger King, and someone called an ambulance to assist him because it appeared he was having a heart attack. (Id. ¶¶ 18-20.) Officers Smith and Medina also came to provide assistance (Medina was employed by the Denver Police Department at the time). (Id. ¶¶ 10, 19.)

Trujillo briefly exited the Burger King to ask about the homeless man's condition, but Medina told her to "back up and go back inside the Burger King," which Trujillo promptly did. (Id. ¶¶ 20-21.) However, Medina soon gestured through the Burger King window that Trujillo should come back outside. (Id. ¶ 22.) Trujillo complied, accompanied by her friend, Adams. (Id. ¶ 23.) "At this point, Defendant Medina and Defendant Smith attempted to handcuff Mr. Adams, who was intoxicated, in order to take him to Denver Cares, a detoxification facility in Denver." (Id. ¶ 24.) "Not understanding why her friend was being handcuffed, [Trujillo] attempted to pull Mr. Adams away from the officers." (Id. ¶ 25.) Smith then announced that she was arresting Trujillo, and Trujillo called Smith a "bitch." (Id. ¶¶ 26-28.)

…. Smith began treating Trujillo very roughly (including slamming her to the pavement) and then handed her off to Medina, who threw her into the back of the police car, punched her in the face with a closed fist twice, and called her a "whore." Medina then took Trujillo to the District 2 station and asked her to remove her belt and shoes, apparently as an anti-suicide precaution. When Trujillo repeatedly refused, Medina attacked her in order to remove her belt, including by slamming her head against the cell walls and placing his knee on her neck as she was pinned (from her shoulders up) on the cell bench, causing her to black out and hit her head again when Medina finally backed away and her upper body slumped from the bench to the floor. An investigation by the Police Department's Internal Affairs Bureau ("IAB") concluded that Medina had used excessive force, and Medina was eventually fired on account of this incident. (See id. ¶¶ 28-95.)