A police recruit in Denver is taking legal action after a training incident at the police academy led to the amputation of both of his legs. The recruit, Victor Moses, alleges that during a training exercise known as 'fight day,' he lost consciousness and collapsed multiple times, ultimately resulting in serious injuries.
The lawsuit claims that despite warning signs and medical conditions that put Moses at risk, he was pressured to continue the training by aggressive officers. Paramedics on the scene reportedly cleared Moses to continue, a decision the lawsuit alleges was made to support the police rather than prioritize his well-being.
The training described in the lawsuit is said to be common in the U.S. and is designed to prepare recruits for real-life scenarios they may encounter on duty. However, the lawsuit argues that the training is unnecessarily violent and fosters a culture of excessive force within the police force.
Moses, who had to have both legs amputated as a result of the incident, is now learning to walk with prosthetics and dealing with constant phantom pain. His lawyers claim that had the training been stopped when Moses first showed signs of distress, his injuries could have been prevented.
The lawsuit also alleges that police misled doctors about the extent of Moses' injuries, compromising the care he received. Moses, who aspired to be a police officer for the meaningful connections it offered, now faces a long road to recovery and questions what could have been if the training had been halted.
This incident raises concerns about the training practices at the Denver Police Department and the treatment of recruits during training exercises. The lawsuit seeks to hold those responsible for the incident accountable and shed light on the potential dangers of such training methods.
