dannno
09-12-2014, 03:46 PM
City Settles Excessive Force Cases for $170,000
One Denunzio Chapter Over, Another One Still Going
Friday, September 12, 2014
By Nick Welsh
By any reckoning, 2011 was a very rough year for Santa Barbara Police Officer Aaron Tudor, a strapping, muscular cop then in his fourth year on the force. It was arguably rougher, however, for two defendants whom — in separate incidents — Tudor would conclude had resisted arrest. By the time Tudor subdued Tony Denunzio — a 53-year-old with a checkered record — Denuzio would be tased 13 times, sustain three broken ribs, and a broken nose. That was in October 2011. One month later, Tudor would break the arm of 19-year-old Britteny Cotledge while bending her over the hood of his car. The snapping sound of Cotledge’s arm can be heard clearly over the background thrum in the video footage caught by Tudor’s patrol car camera. Tudor would contend she broke her own arm by squirming and resisting. Another officer on the scene with Tudor reportedly threw up at the time and was ministered to by emergency response technicians. He has since left the department. One month later, Tudor found himself in hot water again, this time for calling up a young woman he’d recently arrested for driving under the influence to see if she’d like to hang out. The woman, it turned out, attended the same church as Tudor. Of the three incidents, only the latter would violate departmental protocol.
This past Tuesday, Officer Aaron Tudor’s very long 2011 came to a close as the Santa Barbara City Council agreed to settle with Denunzio — who filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against City Hall and the Police Department — for $120,000. In addition, the council agreed to pay Cotledge $50,000 to make her civil rights lawsuit go away, too.
In addition, the private insurance company representing Lessor Michael, the phlebotomist hired to draw blood from inmates at County Jail, agreed to pay Denunzio $25,000. Denunzio’s attorneys Tom Beck and Darryl Genis charged that Michael violently extracted blood from Denunzio without using a disinfected needle. At the time, they charged, Denunzio was pinned face first to a filthy, vomit-specked floor by city cops.
The settlement authorization took place during closed-door deliberations at the end of this Tuesday’s City Council meeting. Because no final document has yet been signed, City Attorney Ariel Calonne said he could not comment on the case. All calls for comment from the Police Department are referred to Calonne, who stated that his heart goes out to all the officers whose “unfortunate lot” includes dealing with inebriated citizens. Attorneys Tom Beck and Darryl Genis, however, were eager to talk, and both confirmed the settlement has, in fact, been struck. Only the ink, they said, has yet to dry.
www.independent.com/news/2014/sep/12/city-settles-excessive-force-cases-170000/
One Denunzio Chapter Over, Another One Still Going
Friday, September 12, 2014
By Nick Welsh
By any reckoning, 2011 was a very rough year for Santa Barbara Police Officer Aaron Tudor, a strapping, muscular cop then in his fourth year on the force. It was arguably rougher, however, for two defendants whom — in separate incidents — Tudor would conclude had resisted arrest. By the time Tudor subdued Tony Denunzio — a 53-year-old with a checkered record — Denuzio would be tased 13 times, sustain three broken ribs, and a broken nose. That was in October 2011. One month later, Tudor would break the arm of 19-year-old Britteny Cotledge while bending her over the hood of his car. The snapping sound of Cotledge’s arm can be heard clearly over the background thrum in the video footage caught by Tudor’s patrol car camera. Tudor would contend she broke her own arm by squirming and resisting. Another officer on the scene with Tudor reportedly threw up at the time and was ministered to by emergency response technicians. He has since left the department. One month later, Tudor found himself in hot water again, this time for calling up a young woman he’d recently arrested for driving under the influence to see if she’d like to hang out. The woman, it turned out, attended the same church as Tudor. Of the three incidents, only the latter would violate departmental protocol.
This past Tuesday, Officer Aaron Tudor’s very long 2011 came to a close as the Santa Barbara City Council agreed to settle with Denunzio — who filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against City Hall and the Police Department — for $120,000. In addition, the council agreed to pay Cotledge $50,000 to make her civil rights lawsuit go away, too.
In addition, the private insurance company representing Lessor Michael, the phlebotomist hired to draw blood from inmates at County Jail, agreed to pay Denunzio $25,000. Denunzio’s attorneys Tom Beck and Darryl Genis charged that Michael violently extracted blood from Denunzio without using a disinfected needle. At the time, they charged, Denunzio was pinned face first to a filthy, vomit-specked floor by city cops.
The settlement authorization took place during closed-door deliberations at the end of this Tuesday’s City Council meeting. Because no final document has yet been signed, City Attorney Ariel Calonne said he could not comment on the case. All calls for comment from the Police Department are referred to Calonne, who stated that his heart goes out to all the officers whose “unfortunate lot” includes dealing with inebriated citizens. Attorneys Tom Beck and Darryl Genis, however, were eager to talk, and both confirmed the settlement has, in fact, been struck. Only the ink, they said, has yet to dry.
www.independent.com/news/2014/sep/12/city-settles-excessive-force-cases-170000/