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Another case of an officer in the Denver area using excessive force is now coming to light. This is also yet another case of an “Independent Monitor” being disregarded and bodycams being shutoff by cops. Officer Chad Sinnema is shown in the video below restraining a man with a potentially lethal knee to the neck.

You want to put your foot back on my neck. I’m trying to breathe,” the restrained man said. To which Sinnema replies, “Start acting like a man!”

Claiming the man tried to kick him, the officer held him to the ground for two and a half minutes, cutting off the victim’s air.

Inappropriate force typically merits punishment ranging from a 10-day suspension to termination. However, the Department of Safety decided the punishment should be reduced because the suspect, who was the aggressor, was able to breathe, spoke throughout the incident and was not injured. The letter also noted that Sinnema did not have a significant disciplinary record and acknowledged that his actions had been inappropriate… However, Independent Monitor Nick Mitchell disagreed with the decision to lower Sinnema’s penalty. Restraining a suspect by putting pressure on the neck carries a risk of injury or death, and it is against the department’s policy.

This is the second time in recent months that a Denver officer has been called into question for using this unordained measure of force. The incident was caught on one officers body camera. Only three of the seven officers present had their cameras operational during the event. This problem has also plagued Denver in recent months, as police have begun disregarding measures placed last year to bolster accountability. According to the Independent Monitor’s report, only 1 in 4 use of force incidents have been caught on bodycam footage, many times because officers simply hadn’t turned them on.

Sinnema recently served a suspension for his blatant abuse and is now happy to be back breathing the Rocky Mountain air and bullying the streets of the Mile High City.

Read the original story on the Denver Post…

