A young man hoping to become a police officer in Denver had to have both of his legs amputated after losing consciousness and collapsing several times during fight training at a local police academy.
His family is now suing those who allegedly forced him to take part in a “barbaric hazing ritual” after several paramedics ignored the warning sings.
The Victim
The young man at the center of the controversy is Victor Moses, 29.
Moses had been excelling throughout his police officer training in Denver when his life changed forever at the hands of a cruel and unusual game.
Fight Day in Denver
In early January 2023, Moses was asked to participate in a dynamic action drill during what he thought was standard police academy training. The drill included four stations intended to teach future officers how to escalate and de-escalate using force.
The practice is also known as “Fight Day” in the training camp.
What Happened to Victor Moses?
At the second station of the escalation course, Moses was knocked to the ground where he hit his head and passed out while being attacked by multiple assailants.
Moses claims that after passing out, the personnel running the training circuit forced him to get to his feet and continue the drill until he lost consciousness again. Finally, an officer called paramedics to the scene to get help.
Health Complications the Department Should Have Known About
After complaining of “extreme fatigue” and “extreme leg cramping” Moses was forced to explain that he had sickle cell disease, which he already informed the department of in his police application form.
Although paramedics noted some health issues with Moses, namely low blood pressure, they cleared him to return to training that day. However, by the third drill, Moses could not get up and claimed he couldn’t breath.
The Trainee Was Rushed to Hospital
After being taken to the hospital, Moses was told that he would require multiple surgeries to save his life.
Over the course of treatment, he was informed that he would need to have both of his legs amputated and was accordingly hospitalized for four months.
How Did It Get This Far?
The lawsuit claims that while experiencing health complications at training camp, Moses developed severe cases of compartment syndrome, rhabdomyolysis, malignant hyperthermia, and severe hyperkalemia.
Doctors note that if Moses was allowed to receive medical attention earlier, all of these severe medical issues could have been avoided.
Information on the Lawsuit
The lawsuit filed in Denver District Court names the city, the police department, Denver Health, 11 individual department employees and two paramedics as responsible for the injuries.
The department’s training tactics are labelled as the root cause of excessive use of force both in the field and with new recruits.
Training Techniques Are Outdated and Dangerous
Darold Killmer, a lawyer for Moses and his family, said in a statement that, “’Fight Day’ is an archaic, outmoded, and unnecessary training program, brutally violent and dangerous.”
As well, the team noted, “Such brutality in training is not necessary to produce good police officers.” The city has been under hot water in recent years because of brutal and unnecessary police tactics when dealing with citizens.
Other Recruits Back Up Claims
The lawsuit includes multiple text-exchanges from other recruits on the day of the training that back up the cruelty of the officers in charge.
“What got me was the lack of attention from the paramedics, they should have stepped in way sooner and stopped it,” then-recruit Zachary Vasquez said in a group chat, according to the lawsuit.
Police Department Initially Lied About Injuries
When the issues with Moses first occurred, the police department was quick to deny that they were responsible for the injuries incurred.
The department then allegedly continued to cover up the injuries by telling news media that Moses’ injuries were caused by undisclosed conditions, which has already proven to be untrue.
Paramedics Helped Enable the Violence
Killmer says that the paramedics on site are also to blame for the injuries. He claims that they “enable continued violence and brutality, holding the gate open for additional infliction of trauma even if the recruit has been rendered unconscious.”
Right now, Moses is seeking compensatory and putative damages for six claims. He alleges that police officers failed to intervene in a cruel situation and unnecessarily hazed new recruits.
