Three Colorado Springs police officers are facing a civil rights lawsuit alleging misconduct in the arrest of a Black veteran.
The lawsuit claims Officers Colby Hickman, Matthew Anderson, and Christopher Hummel “deliberately, knowingly, intentionally and violently” beat 29-year-old Dalvin Gadson without any kind of prior verbal warning. The lawsuit says that is a violation of CSPD's Use of Force Policy.
Gadson is represented by national civil rights attorneys Harry Daniels and Bakari Sellers as well as Latrice Latin and Kevin Mehr.
"They didn't say a damn thing before they decided to beat Mr. Gadson," Daniels said at a press conference announcing the lawsuit Wednesday.
The suit also says the officers violated Gadson's constitutional rights.
"We do a lot of these cases and a lot of times our client is not standing here beside us," Daniels said. "It's a blessing that Mr. Gadson is here today because one of the officers in the video drew down on him. What does that mean? He pulled his gun out."
The allegations center on a traffic stop for failing to properly display a license plate that escalated when officers say they smelled marijuana in Gadson’s car. Police say Gadson resisted arrest and reached for a knife in the center console. His attorneys deny that and say their client was confused as to why he was being arrested.
Gadson's lawyers said he got a black eye during the confrontation and sustained a brain injury from the incident.
Gadson spoke about the arrest during the press conference.
"You don't have thoughts when that's happening. You're trying to survive," he said.
Attorneys for Gadson said several charges against Gadson related to the incident have been dismissed, including a misdemeanor DUI charge and two felony charges of second-degree assault on a police officer. Other charges for Gadson — resisting arrest and obstructing a peace officer, both misdemeanors — have not been dropped.
In a statement, the Colorado Springs Police Department said its department of Internal Affairs is investigating an online complaint regarding the arrest.
"Separately, as is standard practice, an administrative review of the officers’ use of force was also conducted by the chain of command and was found to be within policy," the statement said.
The department has released footage from cameras worn by the officers involved as well as the arrest affidavit.
Three other CSPD officers are being sued in a separate case for alleged use of excessive force during a 2020 arrest of a teenage girl. Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers also recently called for an investigation into the department for violent and racist comments allegedly made by police officers during protests and marches in 2020 and 2021.
