A routine traffic stop in Colorado escalated into a controversial arrest after a father was tased and detained by police while waiting for his son, who had been pulled over moments earlier.
The incident began when Kenneth, whose last name has not yet been released, pulled over behind his son’s vehicle after seeing him stopped by law enforcement on an icy road. Kenneth reportedly remained in his car, waiting for the traffic stop to conclude so he and his son could leave together safely.
“I was cruising so I don’t slip,” the son explained to the officer during the initial stop, referring to the icy road conditions. At that point, nothing appeared out of the ordinary.
However, Kenneth’s decision to park behind the patrol car seemed to make officers uneasy. One officer approached Kenneth’s vehicle and questioned his presence.
“You need to be behind this traffic stop,” the officer said.
“Why? If my son was there, I was following you,” Kenneth replied.
Under the First Amendment, citizens are generally permitted to observe and record police activity from a reasonable distance, as long as they are not interfering. Legal experts say merely being parked nearby does not automatically constitute obstruction.
Despite this, one officer instructed Kenneth to leave the area. As Kenneth began to drive away, another officer abruptly shouted for him to stop.
“Hey! Stop! That’s not good!” one officer yelled.
“Get out of the car! What are you going to do?” Kenneth responded, confused.
“Give me the radio. Get out the car!” the officer continued.
What followed was a rapid escalation: both officers converged on Kenneth’s vehicle and forcibly removed him. Reports suggest Kenneth had not committed any crime at that point, and no clear legal justification was given for the arrest.
When officers requested identification and Kenneth refused, the situation grew more volatile.
“Go away from me. How are you going to get lit up?” Kenneth said, to which one officer responded,
“You’re going to get your [expletive] lawyer.”
Officers allegedly used a Taser on Kenneth twice during the altercation, citing noncompliance. The full bodycam footage has not yet been released, but civil liberties advocates are already raising serious concerns about the officers’ conduct.
Kenneth reportedly suffered minor injuries but was not hospitalized. It is unclear whether any formal charges were filed against him. Calls for an internal investigation are mounting, with community members and legal experts questioning the officers’ response to what began as a father waiting for his son.
