No charges for three Colorado Springs police officers accused of excessive force on unarmed Black man

The Colorado Springs Police Department last month concluded its internal affairs investigation into the violent arrest of an unarmed Black man last year, which prompted national attention and, in many instances, outrage.

The case hinges on three white officers kicking and repeatedly punching 29-year-old Dalvin Gadson in the face and abdomen. One of the three officers received a 10-hour suspension for "conduct unbecoming of an officer" -- mostly due to comments he made about the incident -- and none of them were criminally charged, according to a Colorado Springs Police Department internal investigation, angering attorneys representing Gadson.

"Let's be clear. These officers beat Dalvin Gadson. They punched and kicked him multiple times in the head and body while he posed no threat to them," read a statement from Harry M. Daniels LLC, the law firm representing Gadson. "(Colorado Springs Police) Chief (Adrian) Vasquez and his command staff want the people of Colorado to believe that wasn't excessive force. They want us to ignore the truth that we've seen with our own eyes and take their word for it. That's insulting."

RELATED: Black man sues over being punched, kicked in Colorado Springs traffic stop

The firm is demanding an independent investigation, arguing that the department shouldn't be the sole agency investigating its own officers.

"It's clear to us that any investigation controlled by Chief Vasquez and his command staff isn't worth the paper it's printed on," the law firm said. "That's why we called for an independent investigation and that's why we reached out to the United States Department of Justice."

Two felony charges of assaulting a police officer against Gadson and misdemeanor charges of obstructing a police officer, resisting arrest and DUI have since been dismissed by the El Paso District Attorney's Office. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of unlawful display of a license plate, for which he paid a fine.

Lt. Pamela Castro, a Colorado Springs police spokeswoman, said the department had no comment and referred CBS News Colorado to the department's internal affairs report, which is published on the department's website, along with bodycam footage from that night.

As a result of the department's internal affairs investigation, officers Matthew Anderson, Colby Hickman and Christopher Hummel were all cleared in the allegations of unlawful use of force. Hummel received a 10-hour suspension and was removed as a training officer for "demeaning" language toward Gadson during the arrest and "bragging" about his behavior during the arrest.

Some of the specific language used by Hummell identified as problematic by investigators include the following:

• When asked by another officer how Hummel's knee was feeling, he replied, "well, ask that dude's face;"
• He also said, "I slapped the ever-living f**k out of this dude. Like the firefighters probably woke up;"
• "He's not going to be able to do a DUI investigation because he has a f*****g concussion;"
• "That's why you don't fight the police..." "end up like that."

Investigators said in their report, "these comments have no place in a professional police department and lead to distrust between the Colorado Springs Police Department and the people the department serves."

Gadson's federal lawsuit against the officers is ongoing, but his attorneys are seeking unspecified monetary damages, attorney and court fees and any other damages a judge orders. A trial date hasn't been set, but a final pre-trial hearing is set for June 2024.