Fort Collins paid $325,000 to a woman who was thrown to the ground, beaten and Tasered by city police officers because she was suspected of shoplifted.

The city settled the case before Natasha Patnode and her attorney, David Lane, filed a lawsuit. The settlement was reached Feb. 13 and the check was delivered Tuesday, Lane said.

Patnode was arrested by former Fort Collins police officer Todd Hopkins on March 29 on suspicion of shoplifting.

“It was just some clothing,” Lane said.

Surveillance video showed Hopkins threw Patnode to the ground, punched her multiple times in the side while she was on the ground and struck her repeatedly with a baton while trying to handcuff her. Throughout the beating, Patnode remained on the floor in a curled position.

Five minutes after Hopkins first took Patnode to the ground, a second officer arrived on the scene. His body camera footage showed both officers yelling at Patnode to give them her second arm, which was beneath her body. Patnode said she would give it to them but couldn’t because Hopkins was sitting on her head. The second officer then Tased Patnode twice in the back.

Courtesy of Killmer, Lane and Newton law firm Natsha Patnode takes selfies of her injuries after Fort Collins Officer Todd Hopkins hit her with his first and baton 61 times and tased her twice during an arrest for shoplifting on March 29, 2018.

Courtesy of Killmer, Lane and Newton law firm Natsha Patnode takes selfies of her injuries after Fort Collins Officer Todd Hopkins hit her with his first and baton 61 times and tased her twice during an arrest for shoplifting on March 29, 2018.

Courtesy of Killmer, Lane and Newton law firm Natsha Patnode takes selfies of her injuries after Fort Collins Officer Todd Hopkins hit her with his first and baton 61 times and tased her twice during an arrest for shoplifting on March 29, 2018.



Courtesy of Killmer, Lane and Newton law firm Natsha Patnode takes selfies of her injuries after Fort Collins Officer Todd Hopkins hit her with his first and baton 61 times and tased her twice during an arrest for shoplifting on March 29, 2018.

After Patnode’s second arm was freed and officers had control of both hands, Hopkins Tasered her again. After she was handcuffed, Hopkins continued to sit on her head and punched her once because she was holding her purse.

“You cannot beat me like you was,” Patnode said after she was handcuffed.

“You can’t resist arrest,” he said.

While waiting for paramedics to arrive, Hopkins asked whether Patnode was going to “behave” for the EMS workers.

“I still have my Taser probes inserted into your back, so if you go uncooperative again I’ll light you up again for five more seconds,” Hopkins said.

Patnode later pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges in connection to the incident. Hopkins resigned from the Fort Collins Police Department after an internal investigation found he used excessive force and recommended he be fired, according to the Fort Collins Coloradoan.