Colorado jury finds former Aurora Police Officer John Haubert not guilty

A jury in Arapahoe County found former Aurora Police Officer John Haubert not guilty on all counts on Thursday. Haubert was accused in a violent arrest along with other officers and body cam video showed him pistol-whipping and choking the suspect.

Jurors found Haubert not guilty on all charges, including assault with a deadly weapon causing serious bodily injury, strangulation and menacing. Haubert was one of the first two responding officers to the July 23, 2021 incident on the 3100 block of South Parker Road.

The officers responded to a report of trespassing and encountered Kyle Vinson there along with two other suspects. The court documents state the officers ordered the suspects to sit down while they attempted to run a records check on them, but two ran away.

The images from the body cam show Haubert holding a gun to Vinson as he was put on the ground while ordering him to put his hands in front of him. 

At one point after Vinson had been struck with a gun multiple times, blood was coming from his head, he said, "You're killing me." Haubert also allegedly hit Vinson in the chest with his gun and then put his hand around Vinson's throat. 

Haubert resigned from the Aurora Police Department less than a week after the controversial arrest. The officer who was with Haubert, Francine Martinez, was terminated from the Aurora Police Department after she was accused of not intervening in the alleged excessive force.