A Colorado man who claims he was shot and paralyzed with a Taser while running from police has filed a federal lawsuit against one of the officers.
DENVER — A Colorado man who claims he was shot and paralyzed with a Taser while running from police filed a federal lawsuit Thursday against one of the officers, seeking $100 million in damages.
Lawyers for Jacob Root, who is accused of stealing a car, say Officer Robert Comstock fired a Taser into his back without warning, incapacitating him and using his hands and hands to stop him from falling to the ground. He claims he has lost the use of his arms. According to the complaint, Root fell from the sidewalk onto the roadway during the May 16, 2022 incident, falling on his face and fracturing his neck.
Root can be heard asking the officers: “I can't move. I can't move.” Is that normal? '' was recorded in police body camera footage released by Root's lawyer shortly after the fall.
The Colorado Springs Police Department, which is not named as a defendant, learned of the lawsuit only after it was announced to the media. The department is in the early stages of reviewing the facts of the case and is declining comment at this time, spokeswoman Ira Cronin said. Comstock still works for the department and is “in good standing,” he said.
Comstock could not be reached for comment, and the police department's union did not immediately return calls seeking comment.
Root was tracked down by a stolen vehicle task force made up of personnel from various agencies after he was found inside a 2017 Ford Fusion, according to the complaint. The vehicle had been seen twice before, and police were able to track it using a tracking device.
After the car fled from police earlier in the day, police later saw Root in the car at a gas station, according to the complaint. The man then entered a store at the station and waited for police to come out before arresting him. Root was shot with a Taser while fleeing, court documents added.