The Denver Police Department and Denver Sheriff Department each handed out month-long suspensions in the past month, including one for excessive force.

And, in an unusual twist, a sheriff’s deputy was disciplined in March for failing to use force.

The Denver Post obtained the police officer’s and two deputies’ disciplinary letters through an open records request.

Denver Police Officer Choice Johnson will serve a 30-day, unpaid suspension beginning Sunday after he shoved a LoDo bar patron in the chest, according to his disciplinary letter from the Denver Civil Service Commission. The bar patron fell backwards and down a set of stairs but was not injured.

Johnson told investigators that the bar patron had cursed at him and had postured as if he was prepared to fight the officer, the letter said. The bar patron, who filed the complaint after the July incident, was angry because Johnson was sending his brother, who had passed out at a bachelor party, to the city’s detox unit.

The incident was recorded by a city camera and the footage showed the bar patron had his hands in his pockets and did not make a threatening gesture, the disciplinary letter said.

Instead of shoving the man, Johnson should have stepped back, the letter said.

Johnson, who was hired in 2003, has earned 16 commendations and has six prior disciplinary actions, the letter said.

As for the sheriff’s deputies, the 30-day, unpaid suspension was given to Deputy Steven Singleton, who ripped up two paper message forms an inmate had filled out. His suspension will run from April 7 to May 13.

The inmate had written a grievance on the form, known as a kite, inside the jail. Grievances have a special form, but internal investigators determined the deputy was interfering with the grievance process.

Singleton was accused of taking the messages out of a box ,reading them and then ripping them in front of the inmate in his cell.

Singleton, who was hired in 2009, had no prior disciplinary issues.

The sheriff’s department has been criticized in the past, including by Independent Monitor Nick Mitchell, for failing to act on inmate complaints.

Deputy Edward Hyland will serve an unpaid, 10-day suspension between April 6 and Friday for failing to assist a Jefferson County deputy, who struggled with an inmate being transferred from the county jail on Smith Road.

Hyland, who was hired in 2006, did not have prior disciplinary issues, the letter said.

Jefferson County Deputy Loren Parks wrestled the female inmate, who was kicking, struggling and yelling obscenities, to the ground. Parks sat on the inmate to secure handcuffs and leg irons while Hyland stood nearby and watched, according to Hyland’s disciplinary letter.

Hyland never tried to help Parks in the struggle, the letter said.

During a disciplinary hearing, Hyland’s attorney, Don Sisson, pointed out that numerous deputies have been punished for using excessive force. Now, a deputy was facing a suspension for showing restraint, Sisson said.

“Mr. Sisson then stated the current environment puts deputies in a position where they will be disciplined whether they act or not,” the letter said.

Noelle Phillips: 303-954-1661, nphillips@denverpost.com or twitter.com/Noelle_Phillips