Black Police Recruit Gets Legs Amputated After ‘Barbaric Hazing Ritual,’ Lawsuit Says

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Victor Moses, a 29-year-old Black police recruit from the Denver Police Academy, is suing the department and a Denver-based medical facility for the severe injuries he allegedly sustained during a “barbaric hazing ritual” known as “Fight Day.” 

Filed in the District Court of Denver on July 30, the lawsuit claims that Moses was forced to amputate both legs following the brutal event, which involves scenario-based drills on arrest techniques, resistance control, self-defense, and emergency response. On January 6, 2023, despite being aware of Moses’ sickle cell trait, a condition in which people inherit one sickle cell gene and one normal gene, Denver Police officers allegedly subjected him to repeated assaults while paramedics from Denver Health and Hospital Authority observed and permitted his abuse, according to the suit.

Moses’ condition worsened significantly—his blood pressure dropped, he lost consciousness, and suffered extreme cramping and fatigue. He was compelled to endure additional assaults before being transported to the hospital unconscious and near death. The lawsuit states that over four months following the brutal training, Moses underwent numerous surgeries, including fasciotomies and dialysis, and ultimately had both legs amputated below the knee.

Moses believes that medical officials should have stepped in upon completing the first station which focused on combatives and defensive tactics.

During this drill, recruits were required to deliver repeated punches, kicks, and knee strikes against either a standup dummy or pads held by drill trainers, while also handling multiple commands and physical distractions. Despite his exhaustion, Victor Moses was moved to the Baton Drill station, station 2. While there, the lawsuit claims that he was aggressively struck and knocked down multiple times by officers.

One of the officers allegedly used a large pad and his body to hit Moses with such force that, during one of the many knockdowns, the young police recruit was driven off the mat and crashed headfirst onto the hard tile floor. Moses, visibly winded and bent over, continued to struggle despite the injury, collapsing multiple times and even losing consciousness during the drill.

Medical officials were eventually called to evaluate the police recruit after he collapsed. Paramedics observed that Moses was unable to stand or move freely, even after briefly regaining consciousness, the lawsuit claimed. Staff described him to POST inspectors as having “spaghetti legs” and being “unable to get up,” the lawsuit stated. Despite Moses reporting severe fatigue and intense leg cramping to the paramedics, he was cleared to continue the training several hours later that same day.

Due to his SCT diagnosis, Moses says the officers involved in the training and the medical staff should have taken precautions. Individuals with this trait are at risk of severe medical complications, such as exertional collapse and rhabdomyolysis—a life-threatening condition characterized by the breakdown of muscle tissue.

“Denver Police and Denver Health indifferently ignored and failed to implement well-known training guidelines designed to ameliorate the known recurring risks associated with SCT and extreme physical exertion or force, guidelines specifically developed for recruits with SCT and widely used in similar situations such as training for the military or professional athletes,” the lawsuit noted.

When Victor Moses was finally taken to the hospital, his lawyers claim that the police misled doctors by failing to disclose that he had hit his head on the floor, which impaired the quality of care he received, according to CNN. The Denver Police Department and the Denver Health and Hospital Authority failed to comment about the ongoing suit but shared a statement that read, “Safety and well-being is a top priority for Denver Health and its paramedics,” according to the Associated Press.

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