The Denver City Council voted unanimously last night to pay $80,000 to settle two excessive force lawsuits, saying they hope "a new day" for the police department is coming.
"We've had a downpour of police settlements lately, and I'm hoping there's a drought soon," Councilman Doug Linkhart said.
The settlements bring the total paid by the city for excessive force complaints to more than $1 million so far this year.
Jared Lunn, a volunteer Brighton firefighter, will receive $45,000 to settle a federal civil rights case.
Lunn said he was beaten after he approached an officer who was off-duty, but in uniform, at a LoDo bar in December 2009.
The officer, Eric Sellers, accused Lunn of being drunk and making a sarcastic comment. According to a report filed by Independent Monitor Richard Rosenthal, Sellers put Lunn in a chokehold, wrestled him to the ground, handcuffed and berated him.
Sellers was originally given a 45-day suspension, which was reduced to 40 days after he appealed to the Civil Service Commission.
The council also voted to pay $35,000 to Mark Ashford, who said he was beaten by two officers and had to be taken to the hospital following a March 2010 incident that occurred while he was walking his dogs near 20th and Little Raven streets.
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