COLUMBUS, Ind. — The Columbus Police Department has acknowledged that a newly-hired officer is the subject of a pending civil rights complaint in federal court in Colorado related to his conduct on the job, but felt “comfortable” hiring him after reviewing the case and doing an “extra-thorough” background check.
The lawsuit, filed Jan. 14, 2020 in U.S. District Court in Denver, alleges that Matthew Anderson, who was a Colorado Springs police officer at the time, pinned a Colorado man to the hood of his squad car and wrenched his arm before issuing him a citation for jaywalking, which the complaint clams was in retaliation for flipping the officer off and filming him.
CPD spokesman Lt. Matt Harris said Anderson voluntarily disclosed the pending lawsuit during the application process. CPD detectives spoke with Anderson’s supervisors and the internal affairs unit at the Colorado Springs Police Department about the incident and reviewed his complete police record, which Harris described as “exemplary.”
“It’s not uncommon for law enforcement agencies to be sued,” Harris said. “It’s something that we see in Columbus and more often in law enforcement departments in general, more often than people might think. It’s obviously something that we looked at very, very closely. But after looking at the facts as we saw them, we felt comfortable continuing on with the hiring process.”
Colorado Springs Police Department spokesman Lt. James Sokolik said Anderson worked for the department from March 16, 2015 to March 5, 2021, when he voluntarily resigned to take a job at CPD “to be nearer to family.”
Anderson went to high school in Lexington, Kentucky, said CPD Chief Mike Richardson during the March 16 Columbus Board of Works meeting before Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop swore in the new officer.
Harris said Anderson received 15 awards and commendations during his tenure as a Colorado Springs police officer, including a medal of valor award for his actions during a 2015 mass shooting at a Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood clinic in which three people died, including a Colorado Springs police officer, and eight other were injured.
Harris described CPD’s background checks during the hiring process as “extremely detailed,” especially for applicants who already have law enforcement experience. The hiring process is managed by detectives and also includes polygraph tests and speaking with previous employers and, sometimes, with people who know the applicant but aren’t listed as references, including ex-girlfriends or ex-boyfriends.
For the complete story, including details of the lawsuit and about the Columbus Police Department hiring process, see Friday’s Republic.
