A civil lawsuit was filed against the Loveland Police Department and City of Loveland after a police officer shot a couple's 14-month-old dog. Two days after the lawsuit went public the city of Loveland and the LPD announced that they would be opening an investigation into the incident. All of the windows were covered up from the inside. Civil Lawsuit Filed Against Loveland Police Officer Seen On Video The couple said that following the incident over the next year they were in contact with the LPD about what they wanted to do. Schielke later uncovered surveillance video from the Loveland Police Department showing Hopp watching the body camera footage with two other officers and joking about it. Kiszla: Avs embarrass themselves with silence about Valeri Nichushkin's mysterious absence following reported 9-1-1 call, Andrew Cogliano out for Game 7 with fractured neck after Jordan Eberle's hit leaves Avalanche miffed at lack of suspension. Lordstown warns it may fail as investor Foxconn gets, South Park, Star Wars license plates up for auction, BestReviews.com - Top gifts to make everyone happy this spring, Surprise your mom with one of these Mothers Day, Mothers Day inspo: This foot massager has 20,000, Drew Barrymores Walmart collection is perfect for, Best Mothers Day gifts for the budding plant mom, Best Mothers Day Gifts for moms obsessed with books, Is it legal to have a tinted license plate cover, Aerosmith says farewell with one last Denver show, Denver restaurant closes after 50 years in business, Set of quadruplets set to graduate from MSU together, Search continues for missing Lakewood man, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. What in the actual hell is going on at the Loveland Police Department? Schielke said. Walmart refused and instead called LPD to deal with it. Colorado Cop Kills "Loving" Puppy For Running To Greet Him, Gets Sued - God The city statement said that as a result of the litigation stemming from the shooting of the Golden couples dog, the city of Loveland and the Loveland Police Department were sharing their planned action in response to the litigation and related public concerns. But then Herkimer, the couples 14-month-old puppy, jumped out of the truck and began running toward the officer. I cant believe you fucking shot him! the man appeared to yell from the distance but he was a bit hard to make out. He will bite you! the officer repeated several times under the apparent supposition that the dog was vicious. Wednesday's announcement of the lawsuit accompanied . As the couple and their dogs stood outside of their truck, the buildings owner was watching remote surveillance video from the lot and saw the truck in the back corner. It should free him. Whatever any business owners whim is in Loveland, the City makes it well known that their police force will do whatever it takes, including the use of extreme force, to demonstrate the Citys commitment to protecting business interests. June 26, 2020 Mountain biking. And then found to be reasonable by his superiors. Kiszla: One-hit wonders? The suit was filed Sunday in the 8th Judicial District Court in Fort Collins. The spacious, modern Austin Fleskes joined the Reporter-Herald team in August 2020 as the newsroom's public safety reporter. ", Schielke also represents Karen Garner, a 73-year-old woman who filed a. in April claiming that a Loveland police officer fractured her arm and dislocated her shoulder after stopping her for allegedly shoplifting $13.88 worth of items from Walmart. What are temperatures normally like in May? Herkimer, who remained alive despite being shot twice, fell to the ground. While in the parking lot, the couple let each dog out of the truck to drink water. Loveland will launch another investigation into, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Colorado property tax relief: Polis, lawmakers reveal plan to ease skyrocketing tax bills, Loveland will launch another investigation into police in response to shooting of dog, Technical issues closes Colorado DMV statewide, online services unaffected, Crash on I-225 near Parker Road briefly closes southbound lanes, 14-year-old girl missing since Friday, Denver police appealing for help. Mr. Hendrickson decided he would call Loveland police to investigate them. Share with Us. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. The Loveland Police Department has released 911 audio and body camera footage from the police shooting of a 19-year-old last week. He was known to be affectionate and friendly with both people and other dogs.. The city already has launched an independent investigation into allegations of use of excessive force against a 73-year-old woman accused of shoplifting last year. Loveland couple files lawsuit over police shooting of 14-month-old dog who ran at officer . This article was published more than1 year ago. I have to do whats going to work. A couple whose young dog was shot by a police officer in Loveland has filed a lawsuit accusing the officer's supervisors of covering up what happened and claiming that the city has fostered a culture that encourages the use of force. In the middle of suburbia. from the Loveland Police Department showing Hopp watching the body camera footage with two other officers and joking about it. Geisenfeld - Wikipedia The lawsuit accuses Officer Matthew Grashorn of violating Wendy Love and Jay Hamm's civil rights by "recklessly killing" their 14-month-old puppy, "Herkimer.". The statement continues: LPD understands the publics concerns and the emotions this video elicits. He will bite her. Tuccille LOVELAND, Colo. (KDVR) The City of Loveland said Friday it will launch an independent investigation after a police officer shot and killed a dog. This image taken from Loveland, Colo., Police Department body camera footage shows Officer Matthew Grashorn pointing his gun at a dog he shot after it ran toward him on June 29, 2019, after he got out of his patrol car. According to the lawsuit, Garner suffers from dementia and sensory aphasia, which makes it difficult for her to communicate and understand other people. The officer said it made no sense to use private property in such a manner. The man in the video who owned the dog suggested he was from out of town. Loveland police officer Mat Grashorn pulled up in his patrol vehicle and got out without announcing himself, the complaint shows. They ultimately chose to file a civil suit against the officer; his supervisor, Sgt. Really from every second from inception of this encounter through the end, his judgment is terrible, theres no common sense, theres no care. Without warning, the officer pulled out his gun and pointed it at one of the dogs, video shows. In 2019, St. Louis, to a woman whose dog was shot during a no-knock SWAT raid over an unpaid gas bill. The officer then pointed his gun at Herkimer, who continued running toward him, before he shot the dog once in the head and once in the body. Soon after they stopped, Herkimer was shot by Loveland Police Department officer Mat Grashorn who was responding to the trespassing call and saw the dog as a threat; several days later Herkimer had to be euthanized. Officer Grashorn did not put his firearm away. "This is yet another agonizing illustration of all that is wrong at the Loveland Police Department," Love and Hamm's attorney, Sarah Schielke, at a press conference Wednesday. Couple files lawsuit over shooting of dog who ran at Loveland officer The video ended as the officer announced end of call while turning off his body camera. Love began to scream and cry, begging the officer to let her help Herkimer and take him to the vet; the officer said no, and told her there was nothing to be done, according to the suit. Dog and cat antibiotics are medications prescribed by a veterinarian that can help treat a bacterial infection. In accordance with police department policies and this pledge, the City intends to launch an additional independent investigation into the incident.". The suit claims that this level of trespassing, because of the lack of repellent measures, would be considered a petty offense under Colorado law. The Loveland Police Department now faces a civil lawsuit stemming from a 2019 incident where an officer shot a roughly 1-year-old dog who later had to be euthanized. We were really happy and everything went to hell right then.. The lawsuit names the woman, Wendy Love, and the man, Jay Hamm, as plaintiffs. The flag pole was bare. The woman said she thought the dog might survive. When it comes to landscape Did you know Your Butcher, Frank has super tasty delicatessen salads? Despite the couples pleas, Herkimer was not taken to the vet until Grashorns supervisor arrived at the scene about eight minutes later, according to court records. As the dogs owner, Love, tries to approach the dog, Grashorn can be heard saying, Maam, get away. Maam theyre not going to be able to help him, said Grashorn. It says the officer who pulled the trigger Grashorn engaged in an ambush of the plaintiffs but didnt care.. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Hes hurt, he said of the puppy. Talks with lawyers did not pay off and, Love said, a police friend of hers said it would be tough to go after the good old boys network of the LPD. 5.1.2023 2:50 PM, Jacob Sullum Love and Hamm took notice and called Bubba back, which excited Herkimer, causing him to get up and approach the now armed officer. Phil Metzler arrived on scene were they allowed to take him. It concludes with a statement from Adams that the staff recognizes the need for transparency and accountability in city processes and intends to pursue a fair and complete investigation into all the facts. Herkimer fell to the ground instantly as Love came to his aid, video shows. "It was in violation of Colorado's Dog Protection Act. This policy is regularly and aggressively reiterated to the lower ranks of all LPD officers. He suspected that they were poor and wanted to surprise them, to see if they were up to anything he might be able to get an arrest for, the lawsuit claims. He tells her she needs to wait until his sergeant arrives to investigate the scene. The couple said that while some officers who arrived tried to help, others were immediately confrontational. filed in Larimer County District Court accuses Loveland police officer Mat Grashorn of "recklessly killing" Wendy Love and her husband Jay Hamm's 14-month-old dog, a Staffordshire terrier and boxer mix named Herkimer. On July 20, 2020, Target contacted Loveland PD to deal with a man (Keenan Stuckey) suffering from mental health issues in their parking lot, requesting that they arrest or remove him even though he was breaking no laws and bothering nobody. With no consequences to the officer whatsoever. Love said when they revisit their cabin, Max gets as depressed as they do. Wendy Love, left, and Jay Hamm, talk Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021, about the day a Loveland Police officer shot shot their dog, Herkimer, in the summer of 2019. The couple was making firewood deliveries that day, and according to the lawsuit, stopped in the parking lot to give the dogs some water. Reason has been covering sad incidents of "puppycide" like Herkimer's for decades now. Reading this site or interacting with the author via this site does not create an attorney-client relationship. After violently arresting woman, 73, with dementia, police laughed about it, video shows: We crushed it. At around 10 minutes into the body camera footage, several other officers can be seen on scene helping Love and the dog. Moore, the district judge, did not watch the video before ruling on the motion to dismiss, but found the allegations in the plaintiffs' complaint sufficiently described a clear constitutional violation. I said, We didnt even go within 20 feet of the building,' Love said. Officer Grashorn yelled at Ms. Love and Mr. Hamm to call their dog off. He added, though, that he wanted Loveland to send police to see what they were up to. The plaintiffs countered there was a range of options available to Grashorn other than deadly force. The officer said he was called to the scene the parking lot of a concrete business building with an adjacent picnic table because the business owner thought the man and the woman were loading stuff up.. I didnt know that! the officer said as the woman began to sob. Okay. Schielke said her clients were traumatized by the shooting that took place and chose to file a lawsuit after being unable to peacefully move on from the tragic shooting. Ciaramella Thanks for telling me how to do my job!, Do I know your dogs friendly? the officer later told the man. Everything about Herkimers face and demeanor was one of curiosity and friendly excitement. We have never seen a car in the parking lot there.. "We have pledged to increase accountability and transparency for our community including any opportunity to seek clarity into specific events. According to the complaint, LPD officer Mat Grashorn shot a 14-month-old Staffordshire terrier and boxer mix named Herkimer that he perceived as a threat when responding to a trespassing call. The named defendants are Officer Mathew Grashorn, Sgt. He was wagging his tail and appeared curious and excited. Two officers were sent to the scene: Grashorn and officer Tim Nye. The dog survived for four days before needing to be euthanized, the lawsuit says. As for the plaintiffs' claim against Metzler that he retaliated against them after learning they planned to go to the media by ordering they be cited for a vicious dog Moore believed his behavior was not "shocking. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. The case isLove et al. Accessibility Help. Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. One, later identified as Herkimer, turns and runs toward the officer. Sir, tell her to get away, the officer told the man. Love said that on especially hot days when a lot of deliveries needed to be made, they look for a shady place to pull over and get the dogs some water. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Shielke says she thinks after this and the Karen Garner incident, in which a 73-year-old dementia patient suffered a broken arm following a violent arrest by Loveland Police, there may be a culture problem within the department. And he was shot dead in broad daylight. The suit also accuses the department of sending a battalion of officers to the scene to refuse emergency veterinary care for the animal to cover up their misconduct before removing the dog from the scene.. He was also involved in the violent arrest of an elderly women with dementia one year after Herkimer's killing. The absurd recklessness of this policy and obvious risk it presents to the lives and health of Loveland citizens has played out over and over again quite publicly and quite embarrassingly for Loveland. The lawsuit alleges that, following the shooting, Metzler said since Love and Hamm had mentioned sharing the story with media, we better scratch him a ticket for something., The suit claims that Grashorn told animal control and the veterinarians attempting to treat Herkimer that the dog attacked him. Officer Grashorn had his gun pointed at Bubba within one second of Bubbas standing up. Although Bubba turned around before reaching Grashorn, Herkimer, who had been resting in the couple's truck, came outside at the commotion. spiegel buch islamischer staat die verbindung mit der remotesitzung wurde getrennt da bei der . It violated all common sense and it violated all common decency," she said. Owners of dog shot by Loveland police officer speak out about incident They did, and the dog complied. They said they hope that, with the lawsuit in 8th Judicial District Court, those involved in writing off the incident are punished. But, pursuant to the Dog Protection Act, alternate types of control should be considered prior to the use of deadly force against a dog and, if feasible, allow the owner the opportunity to remove the dog from the immediate area., The suit claims that the day after Love went in to issue her complaint, Sgt. The dog is described in court papers as Herkimer, a 14-month-old mixed breed Staffordshire terrier and boxer mix. "Body-worn camera footage captured that day is difficult to watch, and we deeply empathize with the family over the untimely loss of their dog," said Loveland City Manager Steve Adams in a statement. 8.27.2021 3:20 PM. Hamm said he hopes that there is change in the department. Later, when the officer walked to the couples truck, the lawsuit states, Hamm demanded to know why the officer would shoot a clearly friendly dog. Grashorn responded that he had no way of knowing that, adding that he was not in the business to get bit. Hamm demanded to know why the officer did not use a stun gun on the puppy instead of a firearm. Grashorn's lawyers claimed he acted as "any other officer in his position would have.". Okay, okay, the frustrated officer told the woman. Grashorn arrived first and exited his vehicle. There were no no trespassing signs erected. The couple said they were out June 29, 2019, to deliver firewood around town. I felt like our life totally dissolved right there, Love said. After finally getting Herkimer to the vet, Love and Hamm said the price for helping their dog began to climb and climb. Moore did agree to dismiss the remaining defendants, the city of Loveland and Sgt. Rather than wait for other officers to arrive, Grashorn startled the older dog, Bubba, who was dozing on the pavement and roused Herkimer, who was relaxing inside the couples truck. LPDs chain of command reviewed the video five months later and found the shooting violated no policy and was reasonable, according to Schielke.

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