Colorado Springs will pay $195,000 to settle an excessive force complaint filed with the Police Department’s Internal Affairs Unit in November 2022.

The City Council voted 6-2 during its regular meeting March 12 to approve the settlement amount. Councilmen Dave Donelson and Mike O’Malley were the two opposing votes. Councilwoman Michelle Talarico was absent.

The claim was resolved before the complainant filed a lawsuit in the matter, city spokesman Max D’Onofrio said in an email.

Anyone can file a service complaint or a compliment involving Colorado Springs Police Department employees. The department’s Internal Affairs Unit processes allegations of misconduct lodged against department employees, which “can range from unprofessional behavior to biased policing to excessive force,” according to the compliments and complaints webpage.

In the brief, seven-sentence complaint obtained by The Gazette, the complainant, whose name is redacted, alleged a Colorado Springs police officer identified as Officer Harrell deployed a Taser on the complainant “for no reason” on May 14, 2022.

“I was being placed under arrest and asked to put my hands in the air. I did so but was tased anyway. I lost control of my body when I was tased and fell on the ground, which caused my collarbone to break. It’s all on video,” the complaint states.

During a work session March 11, the council informally agreed to represent three city police officers who were named in two separate lawsuits filed in the fall, both also alleging excessive force by use of a Taser.

The city will represent the officers in court as required by the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act and the Peace Officer’s Liability Act.