Colorado man sues sheriff's office, alleging excessive force after being tased 35 times

A man who lives in southern Colorado has filed a lawsuit against the Las Animas Sheriff's Office -- saying they used excessive force while arresting him, tasing him 35 times.

Body camera video from that day was released by the family's lawyers.

Police had pulled over Kenneth Espinoza's son, Nate.

The two were driving in separate vehicles when Nate Espinoza was pulled over in Trinidad, about 200 miles south of Denver.

Attorneys say Kenneth Espinoza was asked to move his truck from behind deputies' cars during the traffic stop.

So he started to move his car but deputies proceeded to tase him 35 times -- while handcuffed in the back of a police car -- in front of his son.

This all happened on Nov. 29, 2022. Nate Espinoza spoke at a news conference Tuesday about that day.

"To watch my father almost lose his life to these men -- time stopped," Nate Espinoza said. "I can still see them pointing the gun at my father and watching time stop, just feeling everything leave my body."

Lawyers say that one of the police officers accused of firing his taser is Lt. Henry Trujillo -- who has a history of criminal convictions and restraining orders himself.

He was forced to resign from the sheriff's office in 2009, only to be later re-hired and promoted.