a A social justice group has released police body camera footage showing officers at the Colorado Springs Police Department mocking protesters before engaging them.
The video, released by the nonprofit Chinook Center, shows three people preparing to respond to a demonstration by citizens over affordable housing staged during the city’s 2000th anniversary celebrations in July 2021. Shows a police officer.
About 22 minutes into the video, before the protests begin, a policeman jokes and encourages the crowd to kill the protesters. Here are some notable sections from footage provided by the Chinook Center.
Officer 1: “Seriously, get on the loudspeaker, watch the parade, if you want to see these m—–f—–, stop interrupting it.” please. , handle it for us… stone them all.
Another officer: “If you need to retrieve the body, call me.”
Officers also discussed using flashbangs and “stingers” against protesters. [El Paso County Sheriff’s Office] Smack the shit out of these guys.
“Shortly after these jokes,” a Chinook Center news release said, “CSPD actively arrested several peaceful protesters,” some of whom were injured.
“Obviously these officers were unaware that the cameras were recording, so they were talking freely,” the release said. The officer wasn’t even in the immediate vicinity of the protesters who were gathering in Dorchester Park as they were distributing food to the homeless community.
“With no provocations or signs of crime being committed, officers gleefully imagine protesters being violently murdered. All three officers in the vehicle. The comfort and ease of joining the conversation is further proof that Keith Reed’s “kill them all” comment in 2020 was no exception. “
In this release, the CSPD labels “There is a pervasive and unsafe culture of hostility and violence against protesters that has resulted in injury and harm over the years.”
The video was heavily criticized by Mayor John Suthers, a former district attorney, federal attorney, Colorado attorney general, and Colorado Department of Corrections chief.
Despite being a longtime supporter of law enforcement, he called what he saw in the video “totally unprofessional.”
“Last week, I learned for the first time about completely unacceptable statements made by law enforcement officers during a protest outside a police operations center in 2020 and another incident in July 2021.
“Local law enforcement was under considerable duress in connection with the protests at the time, but the statements were wholly unprofessional and, if they could be attributed to a particular CSPD officer, completely unprofessional. should be investigated and subject to potential disciplinary action.
“The CSPD has made considerable efforts in the aftermath of the protests to ensure that officers act professionally in all future encounters, but it has previously been involved in inappropriate conduct. It doesn’t mean that officers shouldn’t be held accountable.”
In a statement, the CSPD said, “CSPD is aware of the BWC video and the officers’ unacceptable comments on the video. We have high expectations of how our officers represent themselves and their departments.Thank you for providing this video and we will take appropriate action We are reviewing information regarding this incident.”
The Chinook Center, which released the video, is a progressive coalition that says on its website it “empowers and connects grassroots organizations with people working for social, economic and environmental justice.”
Six July 2021 demonstrators have been indicted and many have been dismissed. Some pleaded guilty to low-level transgressions.
During the course of the lawsuit, the CSPD had edited out portions of the footage that bad-mouthed the protesters. However, the protestor’s attorney sought a judgment from a district court judge forcing the release of the footage, which he won.
That happened months ago, and Chinook Center’s Jon Christiansen said the decision was made to release the footage to underscore the company’s claim that officers should be held accountable.
“CSPD continues to incur significant costs through taxpayer actions,” he said. “People have to realize this. How they treat protesters is an ongoing pattern.”
Earlier this year, the city settled two lawsuits filed by protesters during the 2020 Black Lives Matter demonstrations, costing taxpayers $175,000 in one case and $140,000 in another.
“I hope the police are actually held accountable,” Christiansen said. Keith Wrede was suspended without pay for making inappropriate comments during the 2020 protests, but he remains with the police force.
“We want an independent oversight body for PD, not toothless LETAC,” he said, referring to law enforcement’s Transparency and Accountability Commission. Many need to be fired.”
LETAC was formed by the city council after BLM protests prompted citizens to demand accountability. But in recent months there has been talk of moving the commission from city council oversight to the mayor’s office. This is because the city council has no operational authority over the police department. Its only decisions are approval of the budget and confirmation that the mayor has elected the chief of police.
Christiansen also pointed to covert operations to infiltrate non-profit organizations working for social justice as evidence that the CSPD needs more oversight..
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