Colorado officials reach $8.5 million settlement with woman who was left handcuffed in a police car that was hit by a train | CNN
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Local Colorado officials have reached an $8.5 million settlement with a woman who hospitalized in 2022 after being left handcuffed in a police SUV that was then hit by a train.

Local Colorado officials have reached an $8.5 million settlement with a woman who was hospitalized in 2022 after being left handcuffed in a police SUV that was then hit by a train.

The city of Fort Lupton and town of Platteville, Colorado, agreed on the settlement with the victim, Yareni Rios-Gonzalez, according to a release from the Fort Lupton Police Department. The settlement amount will be split equally between the town and city and paid by their insurers, according to attorney Eric M. Ziporin, whose office represents the city.

Rios, who was a suspect in a road rage case, survived the September 2022 collision but suffered nine broken ribs, a broken arm and other injuries.

  • Cheradenine@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    120·
    5 months ago

    It’s awesome we are finally holding the police financially liable for their actions. My bad, it’s the taxpayers again.

    You want change? Demand police accountability.

    • Empricorn@feddit.nlEnglish
      39·
      5 months ago

      Police aren’t civilians and they aren’t workers. Abolish their “union” as well as Qualified Immunity. They can earn the right to not be prosecuted while doing their job…

        • Empricorn@feddit.nlEnglish
          11·
          5 months ago

          Oxford Languages definition:

          civilian:

          noun

          a person not in the armed services or the police force.

          I’m obviously using the term in a non-military context as the topic is policing, not military or international conflict.

          • nondescripthandle@lemmy.dbzer0.com
            3·
            5 months ago

            Where’s Oxford again? American policing is based on the fact that a civilian force polices a civilian body. Its part of the tools to avoid military dictatorship, the same way the President is a civilian chosen by the people to be the Commander in Chief of the military.

      • nondescripthandle@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        12·
        5 months ago

        Police are supposed to be civilians. The whole idea of America avoiding mitary dictatorship was vested in the Army being under the control of the Commander in Chief (a civilian chosen by civilians), In conjunction with the police force being comprised of civilians, otherwise that force is just a military with a different name. You can make the argument they’re above civilians in current times but this is by no mean integral to american policing, and is in fact antithetical to the American idea of police.

        Don’t get me wrong I still think they’re problematic even in the theoretical best case scenario, but they’re definitely civilians. Know you enemy, know them well.

      • Thassodar@lemm.ee
        5·
        5 months ago

        So many people are anti-union but when it comes to the police union they’re oddly silent…

        • ripcord@lemmy.world
          4·
          5 months ago

          Friend’s mom frequently complained about unions - any union - because she heard people complaining on Fox or at work. She was a 20-year member of the police union (not as an officer). And bragged about that too.

          He could never convince her of the mental disconnect there.

        • Empricorn@feddit.nlEnglish
          2·
          5 months ago

          They are literally above the law. So again, not civilians. That’s the difference. They aren’t a real union because it’s not workers banding together.

      • thejml@lemm.eeEnglish
        18·
        5 months ago

        30 months of probation?! That’s basically a slap on the wrist. That’s not accountability, that’s doing the absolute minimum to make it LOOK like “see, we’re accountable!”. Dude handcuffed a person in a car on railroad tracks.

        • catloaf@lemm.eeEnglish
          8·
          5 months ago

          And 100 hours of public service… you mean like his job?

          Take some overtime and sleep in a cruiser, he’ll have it done in two weeks anyway.

      • Mr. Camel999@programming.dev
        15·
        5 months ago

        Did you read the post you replied to? They said financially liable. Read through the quote you responded with and tell us where they are held financially liable. They are (rightfully) mad that it’s the taxpayers that are effectively paying out the settlement instead of the police force.

      • Cheradenine@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        9·
        5 months ago

        The settlement amount will be split equally between the town and city and paid by their insurers, according to attorney Eric M. Ziporin, whose office represents the city.

        Perhaps you should read it.

        • bazus1@lemmy.worldEnglish
          5·
          5 months ago

          paid by their insurers

          Oh, whew, at least it’s not the tax payers! You really got 'im with your crafty reading of the article.

          Edit: naw, I fucked up. My apologies. Carry on.

      • octopus_ink@lemmy.mlEnglish
        1·
        5 months ago

        I guess that’s technically accountability. Doesn’t sound like much of a punishment.

        And this is damn near a unicorn. (and likely would have been swept under the rug without cam footage - just like every other case where cops see justice) Just like one black president didn’t signal the end of racism, a small percentage of cases where someone OTHER THAN taxpayers are on the hook for police misbehavior doesn’t signal the end of a need for reform, it signals a nearly imperceptible change to the status quo. I’m grateful for the change, but it’s barely a start.