An Englewood police officer faces multiple assault charges after pulling a man out of his car during a traffic stop last month and putting him in a chokehold, according to court documents.
Ryan Scott Vasina, 30, was arrested on suspicion of second-degree assault, third-degree assault and first-degree official misconduct, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed Monday in Arapahoe County District Court.
Vasina pulled over 20-year-old Carlos Rangel-Rincones, described in the affidavit as a Venezuelan national, shortly after 11 p.m. Oct. 8, near South Lincoln Street and East Layton Avenue, according to the document.
The Englewood officer pulled Rangel-Rincones over for running a stop sign, investigators said in the affidavit, citing dash-camera video.
Rangel-Rincones told investigators through an interpreter that he primarily speaks Spanish and knows minimal English, so he had trouble understanding Vasina during the traffic stop.
Vasina repeatedly asked Rangel-Rincones for his license and did not answer the man’s questions about why, according to the document. He told Rangel-Rincones to turn off the car, and the man complied, but then asked for the keys, which Rangel-Rincones did not turn over.
The officer pulled Rangel-Rincones from the car to the ground, put him in a chokehold and used a Taser on him, police wrote in the affidavit.
“The penalty for a stop sign, driver’s license or even a refusal to identify themselves does not warrant a use of force response that Vasina is engaged in without any active resistance, threatening language, furtive movements or attempts to flee or evade questioning,” an investigator for the Arapahoe County District Attorney’s Office wrote in the document.
Police officers are forbidden from using a chokehold under Colorado law unless deadly force is authorized.
The dash-camera video shows Vasina immediately placing his arm on Rangel-Rincones’s neck. He did not attempt to move it for 12 seconds, at which point he released the hold to handcuff the man, police said.
Rangel-Rincones did not resist Vasina at any time, even when being grabbed and choked, and asking questions does not mean he refused to cooperate, investigators wrote in the affidavit.
The chokehold and use of handcuffs and a Taser without probable cause all violate Colorado law and the Englewood Police Department’s policies, the document states.
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“Since that time, Englewood Police have worked closely with CBI and the District Attorney’s Office to ensure an independent and thorough review,” Englewood officials said in a statement to 9NEWS. “Transparency and accountability remain essential to maintaining public trust, and the department will continue to fully support the criminal process. This behavior does not reflect the values or professionalism of the Englewood Police Department or the officers who serve our community with integrity and compassion.”
A news conference with the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office about the incident is scheduled for 11 a.m. Tuesday.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
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