Police sued for alleged racism
Porcus Ubiquitous
Aurora officer claims white co-workers arranged his arrest
By Karen Abbott, Rocky Mountain News
February 21, 2003
An Aurora police officer sued his superiors in federal court Thursday,
accusing them of conspiring against black officers and him in
particular.
Sgt. Dwight Lott's lawsuit said he was targeted by white officers who
spied on him and arranged his arrest a year ago by Arapahoe County
sheriff's deputies for drinking after hours at a nightclub, the
Emerald Isle.
The charge later was dropped by Arapahoe County prosecutors.
Three white Aurora officers were with Lott at the club but were
allowed to leave without being arrested, according to Lott.
His lawsuit also said other Aurora police officers had been known to
drink after hours and that even the chief, Ricky Bennett, had done it.
"On information and belief, the Aurora Police command also has notice
of other police officers being in bars after hours, e.g., at The
Stampede, but has never busted, arrested, prosecuted or staked out or
stalked any of them," the lawsuit said. "Only this African-American
plaintiff police officer has been so treated."
Bennett is a defendant in Lott's lawsuit, along with Lt. Paul
Fenstermacher, Division Chief Ken Murphy, Division Chief Kevin Thelen,
Lt. Terry Brown, John Sopranuk of the department's internal affairs
unit and Sgt. Brice Mooma, a special investigator with the Arapahoe
County Sheriff's Department.
Aurora police spokesman Rudy Herrera said he could not comment. City
attorneys could not be reached.
Inside the club on the night of Lott's arrest, Fenstermacher, Lott's
former boss, allegedly yelled at Lott, accusing him repeatedly of
lying.
"Defendant Fenstermacher . . . got right in plaintiff's face and
purposely spit in his face, hitting him on the right lower lip. Mr.
Lott wiped this spot off his face with his hand," the lawsuit said.
Lott earlier had been transferred out of Fenstermacher's unit at his
own request because of Fenstermacher's allegedly cruel treatment of
him, the complaint said.
It also said racism against black officers is common in the police
department and is tolerated by supervisors, and cited alleged
instances of racist jokes being told and racist remarks being made.
For instance, according to the lawsuit, Thelen allegedly declared to
other officers during a meeting in a Las Vegas restaurant in 2000 that
black officers - although Thelen allegedly used an uglier term -
"better watch out" because Thelen had just become head of the
department's internal affairs unit.
abb...@rockymountainnews.com or (303) 892-5188
