Following an event in 2020 in which he was “brutally Tased” while “completely bound” by a white sheriff’s sergeant, a Black Colorado man has filed a federal discrimination complaint against a local police department.
Travis Cole, 34, told NBC News that he was frightened by the Boulder County Jail event on September 21, 2020. Attorneys for Cole asserted that Cole’s race was a “motivating element” in the sergeant’s choice to deploy a Taser on him when he was shackled and “could do nothing more than yell and twist his shoulders about.”
Cole, who was facing a domestic assault accusation when he was detained, told NBC News, “I used to have a healthy regard for law enforcement, but now I fear them.” I do not believe that they are present to protect and serve.
Cole Cole’s attorneys, Mari Newman and Andy McNulty, claim that officials mocked him after he was totally restrained in a chair with his wrists and legs shackled.
According to the federal lawsuit seen by Insider, Boulder County Sergeant Christopher Mecca “began verbally taunting the defenseless Mr. Cole in an attempt to generate anger by continuously encouraging him to resist.”
Mecca was present with seven other cops.
The lawsuit claims that Mecca put his Taser against Cole’s leg and threatened to stun him as the other police observed, “yet did nothing to intervene, despite the fact that there was no plausible cause for Defendant Mecca’s threat to tase Mr. Cole.”
“Then, while continuing to taunt Mr. Cole, Defendant Mecca activated his taser and electrocuted Mr. Cole, watching his restrained body shake and writhe for approximately five seconds—an act of pure cowardly sadism with no conceivable legitimate law enforcement or penological purpose, and a certain infliction of excessive force,” according to the lawsuit.
In addition to Mecca, Sheriff Joe Pelle, two commanders, and seven deputies are named as defendants in the lawsuit.
On Sunday, a representative for the Boulder County Sheriff’s Department did not respond immediately to an inquiry from Insider. NBC stated that the domestic violence accusation against Cole was eventually withdrawn.
It was initially unclear whether Mecca had hired an attorney.
“Defendant Mecca said in an email to his superiors after the event that he chose to tase Mr. Cole while he was fully bound instead than using other types of force because Mr. Cole is black. If Plaintiff had been White, Mecca would not have tased him “the complaint stated.
Two Longmont police officers reported Mecca’s actions to their supervisor, who escalated the situation, according to the lawsuit. According to the lawsuit, when questioned about the incident, “Mecca was defensive and offered no valid explanation.”
According to NBC, Sheriff Pelle stated in a statement that the office had a policy forbidding the use of stun guns on confined detainees.
According to NBC, the statement read, “The Sheriff’s Office proceeded swiftly and with full public openness in handling this misuse of force and holding the former deputy accountable.” “The sheriff disagrees with the lawsuit’s accusations that our agency is liable and contends that the former employee acted outside of our policy and training and is solely responsible for his actions.”
Following the event, rather than being terminated, Mecca resigned, according to NBC News.
According to the Daily Camera, he was found guilty of misdemeanor assault in the third degree and official misconduct in December 2021. According to NBC, he was sentenced to probation.