Two people arrested last summer by a Montezuma County Sheriff\u2019s deputy have requested a $60,000 settlement in an attempt to avoid litigation.<\/p>\n
The five-page settlement demand was sent by certified mail to the Montezuma County Sheriff\u2019s Office and the Montezuma County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 10, confirmed Durango attorney Douglas Reynolds. In a telephone interview on Monday, Reynolds said the county was given a 15-day deadline to respond.<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t heard back from either the Sheriff\u2019s Office or the county commissioners,\u201d Reynolds said.<\/p>\n
Attempts to reach Sheriff Dennis Spruell for comment or obtain an official sheriff\u2019s department incident report of the alleged violations were unsuccessful as of press time.<\/p>\n
In the settlement demand, Reynolds alleges that Montezuma County Sheriff Sgt. Adam Alcon made a traffic stop for failure to display a valid tag on June 10, 2013.<\/p>\n
The driver of the vehicle, Jami Larson, reportedly stopped in the Antique Corral parking lot on Highway 160.<\/p>\n
According to Reynolds, once his client informed the deputy that a handgun was inside the vehicle, \u201cthe situation began to unravel.\u201d<\/p>\n
He claimed an \u201cunprovoked\u201d Alcon held Larson on the ground while keeping the passenger, Jonathon Boyd, in the sights of the officer\u2019s drawn firearm.<\/p>\n
Reynolds claims Larson was repeatedly thrown to the ground, and suffered a broken finger along with cuts and abrasions.<\/p>\n
Reynolds claims both clients were held for an \u201cexcessive period of time\u201d before they were booked or allowed to make a phone call, despite efforts to notify officials that unattended minor children were home alone.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt one point, Ms. Lawson even went so far to request that county social service personnel be sent to the home to do a welfare check,\u201d Reynolds wrote.<\/p>\n
Larson was reportedly charged with resisting arrest, obstructing governmental operations, operating an uninsured motor vehicle and failure to display valid registration.<\/p>\n
Boyd was reportedly charged with obstructing governmental operations and possession of a weapon by a previous offender.<\/p>\n
District Attorney Will Furse said on Monday that all charges against Reynolds clients were dismissed.<\/p>\n
Reynolds says his client\u2019s civil rights were violated, including the use of excessive force, false arrest and custodial mistreatment.<\/p>\n
\u201cI suspect the settlement will ultimately be declined,\u201d Reynolds said. \u201cIf it is, I think my clients have every intention of filing a lawsuit.\u201d<\/p>\n