A former Denver police recruit who had both his legs amputated has filed a lawsuit, blaming the department and the “brutal hazing ritual” he endured in a bid to join the force.
Victor Moses said he was forced to participate in what officers and paramedics dubbed “Fight Day,” a police training exercise that simulates arrest and assault situations, according to the suit, which was filed on Tuesday. He alleged the drill included excessive force, leading to life-threatening injuries.
“I never thought that I would become the target of police brutality as I was training to become a police officer,” Moses said in a news release. “Now I am picking up the pieces and coming to grips with a lifetime of disabilities.”
The “Fight Day” session unfolded at the Denver police academy in January 2023 with four stations intended to teach future officers how to escalate and de-escalate force.
During the second round, Moses said he was repeatedly knocked down by overly aggressive officers, causing him to hit his head on the floor. He told paramedics on standby that he had the sickle cell trait, which puts him at an increased risk of medical complications from high-intensity exercise. He also alerted them to his low blood pressure and that his legs were cramping, which is a warning sign for people with the condition.
Still, he was pressured to continue with the training exercise. According to the suit, he was so exhausted that officers had to physically bring him to the third station, a drill during which an officer put his body weight on Moses.
“I can’t breathe,” Moses told them. He then fell unconscious.
Moses was then taken to the hospital, where he underwent multiple surgeries. He ultimately had to have his leg amputated and developed severe compartment syndrome, rhabdomyolysis, malignant hyperthermia, and severe hyperkalemia in the hospital, according to the suit.
Such training exercises are not uncommon for aspiring police officers in the United States and are meant to prepare them for scenarios they could face on the job. Exercises include having recruits punch and kick a dummy or a trainer holding pads, using a padded baton to fight trainers, wrestling and practicing arresting a suspect who is assaulting them.
According to the lawsuit, its an unnecessary training tactic that results in officers using excessive force in the field.
“Instead of training police properly in constitutional use of force techniques, including de-escalation and rendering emergency aid to the injured, the defenseless or the subdued, Denver with the groupthink help of Denver Health instead teaches police recruits it is acceptable to seriously injure people, even fellow officers like Victor Moses, to the point of unconsciousness and then not timely secure emergency care to help them,” John Holland, one of Moses’ attorneys, said in a statement to USA Today.
Moses is seeking compensatory and punitive damages.
With News Wire Services
