Colorado Springs Officer Matthew Anderson was one of the two cops accused in the violent beating of Army veteran Dalvin Gadson. In Gadson’s lawsuit, he alleges Anderson violated his constitutional rights by using excessive force, per ABC News. Apparently, this isn’t the first time Anderson has been sued for aggressive behavior.
Back in 2019, a man sued Anderson for wrenching his arm and pinning him on the hood of his squad car to issue him a jaywalking citation because he flipped him off, according to The Republic. The claims of excessive force were dropped by a district court judge. However the claims of constitutional violations proceeded because it was found Anderson did not have probable cause to detain the man. The report says Anderson was “cleared of any wrongdoing” after an internal CSPD investigation.
Yet, he walked right into another lawsuit. Anderson and his colleague, Christoper Hummel, are accused of using excessive force in the brutal beating of Dalvin Gadson in October.
Read more about the case from ABC News:
After taking Gadson’s driver’s license, the officers can be heard in the video discussing a knife they noticed in Gadson’s cupholder. They also described smelling cannabis coming from his vehicle.
When they return to Gadson’s car, telling him he’s under arrest for a DUI, Gadson responds saying, “no I’m not” and backs into his car. From there, the situation escalates with the officers grabbing Gadson to pull him outside of the vehicle and throwing punches at him.
Gadson suffered eye injuries, a ruptured eardrum, and PTSD after the incident, Daniels said. At one point in the video, Gadson is seen lying on the pavement in a pool of blood. Additional photos of Gadson at the hospital also show visible lacerations and contusions on his body as well as his swollen face.
Again, the CSPD reviewed the incident and justified the officer’s use of force claiming Gadson physically fought with the officers during the arrest, according to a statement. Gadson’s attorney Harry Daniels said Gadson wasn’t trying to be combative but instead trying to protect himself.
“If somebody is beating the hell out of you, I would hope you try to stop them beating the hell out of you. And I mean, try and stop and cover up. That’s not resistant, that’s what we call survival,” said Daniels via ABC.
The investigation into the incident is still open. At the moment, no disciplinary action has been taken against either officer.