Sep 10, 2006 1:20 pm US/Mountain
Boulder County Pays Taser Victim $90,000
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) ―
Boulder County leaders have agreed to a $90,000 settlement with a driver who suffered seizures before and after sheriff's deputies used Tasers on him.
Sheriff's officials also revised policies for using the stun guns as part of the settlement.
The deal Thursday with Christopher Nielsen of Longmont prevents Nielsen from suing the Boulder County Sheriff's Office, but Nielsen was considering a lawsuit against Longmont police, who also fired a Taser at him during the incident, said his attorney, Andrew Gibbs.
Deputy John Appleman wrote in an incident report that deputies used the Tasers after Nielsen, 37, did not obey police instructions following a crash. Police did not realize he had suffered a seizure, Appleman wrote.
Nielsen was ticketed on suspicion of driving with a suspended license and obstructing a police officer, but the charges were later dropped, according to court records.
Sheriff's officials changed the policy for using Tasers on Aug. 2.
The new policy prohibits deputies in most cases from using Tasers on suspects who engage in "passive resistance," such as going limp or refusing to move. A deputy who uses a Taser in those cases must be able to explain why the Taser was a better way to restrain the suspect than verbal commands or light physical force.
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