The Colorado Springs Gazette final

Aurora officer beats man on video

BY JULIA CARDI julia.cardi@gazette.com

Aurora Police Chief Vanessa Wilson has ordered an expedited internal affairs investigation into a Friday incident on South Parker Road in which an officer beat an unarmed man with his gun during a trespassing call.

At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Wilson showed body-worn camera footage of Officer John Haubert striking Kyle Vinson several times and then choking him. The footage shows Vinson gasping for air and struggling to speak.

Near the beginning of the footage, as Vinson lies on his back, Haubert orders Vinson to get on his stomach while Vinson repeatedly asks, “What did I do?” Haubert says he has an active warrant.

Haubert told Vinson several times to “stop fighting,” though Vinson did not appear to be resisting at that point. Haubert also pressed his gun up against Vinson’s head.

Haubert and another officer, identified as Francine Martinez, appear to attempt to to Vinson onto his stomach.

As Haubert beat Vinson with the gun, the video showed Vinson repeatedly cried out, “You’re killing me!”

Near the end of the footage, he said, “I need water” several times, his head at that point was bleeding and swollen.

As the footage played at Tuesday’s press conference, Wilson alternately watched the screens, looked away and put her hand in front of her face. She appeared to hold back emotion as she condemned the officer’s conduct.

“This is not the Aurora Police Department. This is criminal,” she said.

Haubert, 39, was arrested on suspicion of attempted first-degree assault, second-degree assault, felony menacing, official oppression and first-degree official misconduct. He has been a patrol officer with Aurora for three years.

Officer Francine Martinez, 40, faces misdemeanor charges of failure to intervene and failure to report use of force by an officer, offenses created when the Colorado legislature passed a sweeping law enforcement reform bill in June 2020.

The Aurora Police Department plans training that that teaches officers how to intervene when they believe a fellow officer — or a superior — is about to do something harmful.

Martinez has been a patrol officer at the department for six years and has a disciplinary history, including a written reprimand for handling of evidence and a 10-hour suspension related to an investigation.

Court records show Haubert pleaded guilty in 2009 to prohibited use of a weapon, a misdemeanor. Wilson said she learned of his record Monday. She added she does not have control over hiring entry-level officers, which is the responsibility of the Civil Service Commission.

Haubert is on unpaid administrative leave and Martinez is on paid leave.

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2021-07-28T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-07-28T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://daily.gazette.com/article/281706912715934

The Gazette, Colorado Springs