Denver will pay $80,000 to Paul Turner to settle his 2024 lawsuit against Officer Samuel Powell over an alleged excessive force incident.
In April 2024, Turner was a passenger in a reportedly stolen car that Denver police officers were chasing. An officer rammed his police SUV into the car, causing a crash, according to the complaint.
The driver was arrested, and Turner exited the car. Both Powell and another officer rushed toward him and ordered him to get on the ground.
Turner stopped running and raised his hands above his head. Then Powell tackled him into the street, breaking Turner’s hip, the lawsuit alleged.
Powell “forcefully handcuffed him,” according to the complaint, and forced Turner to stand up and walk, even as he complained that he could not move his leg and was in severe pain.
“I can’t move my leg,” Turner said.
“That’s your fault, isn’t it?” Powell responded, according to the complaint.
Though the officer knew Turner was injured, Powell did not ensure he received immediate medical care, the lawsuit stated. Instead, Powell forced Turner to “move, walk, spread his legs for a search, and manipulate his hips to sit in a police car,” according to the complaint.
Turner alleges he “suffered, and continues to suffer, significant physical injuries, ongoing pain,
reduced mobility, reduced quality of life, and other long-term effects” from Powell’s actions.
Additionally, Turner has had multiple surgeries and hospitalizations, chronic pain, numbness, tingling sensations in his legs and trouble walking, requiring him to use a cane and wheelchair.
Denver City Council approved the $80,000 settlement unanimously on Monday.
“The approval of these items tonight brings the 2026 total for taxpayer dollars and city settlements to $559,500,” said City Councilmember Shontel Lewis. “This funding is drawn from a liability claims pool of money that is refilled when necessary from the city's general budget and does not come out of agency-specific budgets.”
The city has paid millions in police settlements since 2020.
