LAS ANIMAS COUNTY — Lawyers for a man who claims he was tased 35 times by a Las Animas County Sheriff's Deputy have announced a $1.5 million settlement in their lawsuit.
Filed in April 2023, the suit named several members of the Las Animas Sheriff's Office; LACO Lt. Henry Trujillo, Deputy Mikhail Noel, Undersheriff Rey Santistevan, and Sheriff Derek Navarette, as well as the Las Animas County Sheriff's Office and the Las Animas County Board of County Commissioners.
The lawsuit addresses an incident that dates back to November 2022. Kenneth Espinoza's attorney said he was driving to a shop to get his truck serviced as his son was following him separately in another vehicle. His son was pulled over by a deputy with the Las Animas County Sheriff's Office. Espinoza's attorney said he pulled over behind the deputy to wait for his son while Deputy Noel conducted the traffic stop.
In the body camera video released by Epinoza's attorney, Lieutenant Henry Trujillo arrives on the scene and is seen walking up to Espinoza's window. He tells Espinoza he needs to leave or he will "get charged." Espinoza refuses and moments later receives conflicting orders to "leave" and "stay" from the deputies while Noel points a pistol at him.
The video then shows deputies removing Espinoza from the car and putting him in handcuffs. Trujillo tased Espinoza once while he was handcuffed, according to the sheriff's office.
The 3rd Judicial District Attorney's Office subsequently dropped all charges against Espinoza, including resisting arrest and assaulting a peace officer.
At the time of the incident, Espinoza's lawyers said Trujillo should have never been on the force because of his criminal history, including multiple restraining orders, misdemeanor charges of harassment, and disorderly conduct.
The incident led to a third-party investigation by the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office and resulted in a recommendation that Deputy Noel and Lieutenant Trujillo be fired and that the office should consider a criminal investigation into their actions. Both deputies were fired in September of 2023, nearly nine months after the incident.
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