The family of a man who was fatally shot last year at a middle school while students were being picked has filed a lawsuit, alleging unlawful use of force by Colorado deputies.
Richard Ward, 32, was with his mother, Kristy Ward Stamp, and her boyfriend Feb. 22, 2022, to pick up his younger brother from Liberty Point International Middle School, according to the federal lawsuit filed in the District Court of Colorado. Pueblo County Sheriff’s deputies approached Ward after receiving a report that he had been opening doors of nearby cars in the pickup waiting area, officials have said.
Ward stepped out of his mother’s SUV for a “brief walk” and mistook another white SUV for hers and got in the wrong vehicle, the lawsuit said. He apologized to the woman driving after realizing his mistake and returned to his mother’s vehicle, the suit states.
Minutes later, according to the suit, Deputy Charles McWhorter approached the vehicle to speak with Ward. Footage from McWhorter’s bodyworn camera shows him approaching the SUV and greeting Ward, who opened his door to talk to the deputy.
“Wow, calling the cops on me? Just looking for my little brother,” Ward said upon seeing McWhorter.
McWhorter asked for the brother’s name, and Ward stumbled when providing it, according to the footage. When asked if he forgot who his brother was, Ward’s mother interjected that the man has two brothers. Ward said he was just “messing” with the deputy and then asked McWhorter why he was touching his arm.
‘Why are you acting like this?’
The lawsuit states that McWhorter put his hand on Ward’s elbow. The angle of the footage makes it unclear where McWhorter’s hand is, but Ward pulls his arm away and a hand can be seen moving in the edge of the frame.
“Why are you acting likes this?” McWhorter asked, according to the footage.
“I’m a little nervous because I don’t like cops,” Ward said, adding that he’s had prior experience with officers who used force.
Ward and McWhorter then discussed the…
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