TELLER COUNTY — A man is suing a Teller County Deputy and a Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Officer following his arrest outside Mueller State Park back in May.
The suit filed by Dustin Harrison says he was driving past the park when he noticed CPW Officer Michael Judd searching a parked car. It says Harrison pulled over and began filming Officer Judd because he was concerned the car was being searched illegally.
According to the lawsuit, Officer Judd called for back up from the Teller County Sheriff's Office. The suit claims Deputy Troy Sardi arrested Harrison for filming police in violation of the First Amendment.
The exchange was captured on Deputy Sardi's body cam video, which Harrison's lawyers emailed to News5.
The lawsuit is seeking the following:
- financial damages
- a written apology from both Officer Judd and Deputy Sardi
- policy changes to prevent similar incidents in the future
- additional training
News5 reached out to the Teller County Sheriff's Office and CPW for comment. CPW said they were not aware of the suit, but they typically do not comment on pending litigation.
The sheriff's office says they could not provide a comment because Sheriff Jason Mikesell is out of town at a conference.
___
'First time this happened,' bystanders react to shooting Downtown
An officer involved shooting in Downtown Colorado Springs resulted in the death of the suspect and an ongoing investigation. Traffic was blocked off Monday afternoon into the evening on Pikes Peak Ave. between Nevada Ave. and Weber St.
____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
