Colorado statute
C.R.S. § 18-8-802 — Duty to report use of force by peace officers or law enforcement animals - duty to intervene.
Current through 2025 Regular Session
Part of Part 8: OFFENSES RELATING TO USE OF FORCE BY PEACE OFFICERS, Colorado Revised Statutes.
Criminal charges under this statute
Full text of C.R.S. § 18-8-802
Statutory text current through the 2025 Regular Session. This is an officially sanctioned publication using the official text of the Colorado Revised Statutes; it is not the official statutes of the State of Colorado.
(1) (a) A peace officer who, in pursuance of such officer's law enforcement duties, witnesses another peace officer, including a peace officer who is the handler of a law enforcement animal, in pursuance of such other peace officer's law enforcement duties in carrying out an arrest of any person, placing any person under detention, taking any person into custody, or booking any person or in the process of crowd control or riot control, use physical force or allow the peace officer's law enforcement animal to use physical force that exceeds the degree of physical force permitted pursuant to section 18-1-707 must report such use of force to such officer's or handler's immediate supervisor. (b) At a minimum, the report required by this section shall include the date, time, and place of the occurrence, the identity, if known, and description of the participants, and a description of the events and the force used. A copy of an arrest report or other similar report required as a part of a peace officer's duties can be substituted for the report required by this section, so long as it includes such information. The report shall be made in writing within ten days of the occurrence of the use of such force. (c) Any peace officer who fails to report such use of force in the manner prescribed in this subsection (1) commits a class 2 misdemeanor. (1.5) (a) A peace officer, as defined in section 24-31-901 (3), who is on duty shall intervene to prevent or stop another peace officer, including a peace officer who is the handler of a law enforcement animal, from using physical force that exceeds the degree of force permitted, if any, by section 18-1-707 in pursuance of the other peace officer's law enforcement duties in carrying out an arrest of any person, placing any person under detention, taking any person into custody, booking any person, or in the process of crowd control or riot control, without regard for chain of command. (b) (I) A peace officer, as defined in section 24-31-901 (3), who intervenes as required by subsection (1.5)(a) of this section shall report the intervention to his or her immediate supervisor. (II) At a minimum, the report required by this subsection (1.5)(b) must include the date, time, and place of the occurrence; the identity, if known, and description of the participants; and a description of the intervention actions taken. This report must be in writing within ten days of the occurrence of the use of such force and must be included with all other reports of the incident. (c) A member of a law enforcement agency shall not discipline or retaliate in any way against a peace officer, as defined in section 24-31-901 (3), for intervening as required by subsection (1.5)(a) of this section, or for reporting unconstitutional conduct, or for failing to follow what the officer reasonably believes is an unconstitutional directive. (d) Any peace officer, as defined in section 24-31-901 (3), who fails to intervene to prevent the use of unlawful force as prescribed in this subsection (1.5) commits a class 1 misdemeanor. (e) When an administrative law judge or internal investigation finds that a peace officer, as defined in section 24-31-901 (3), failed to intervene to prevent the use of unlawful physical force as prescribed in this subsection (1.5), this finding must be presented to the district attorney so that the district attorney can determine whether charges should be filed pursuant to subsection (1.5)(d) of this section. However, nothing in this subsection (1.5)(e) prohibits or is intended to discourage the district attorney from charging an officer with failure to intervene before the conclusion of any internal investigation. (f) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2021.) (g) In a case in which the prosecution charges a peace officer, as defined in section 24-31-901 (3), with offenses related to and based upon the use of excessive force but does not file charges against any other peace officer or officers who were at the scene during the use of force, the district attorney shall prepare a written report explaining the district attorney's basis for the decision not to charge any other peace officer with any criminal conduct and shall publicly disclose the report to the public; except that if disclosure of the report would substantially interfere with or jeopardize an ongoing criminal investigation, the district attorney may delay public disclosure for up to forty-five days. The district attorney shall post the written report on its website or, if it does not have a website, make it publicly available upon request. Nothing in this subsection (1.5) prohibits or discourages prosecution of any other criminal offense related to failure to intervene, including a higher charge, if supported by the evidence. (2) Any peace officer who knowingly makes a materially false statement, which the officer does not believe to be true, in any report made pursuant to subsection (1) of this section commits false reporting to authorities pursuant to section 18-8-111 (1)(a)(III). (3) No report filed pursuant to subsection (1) of this section shall be used as evidence against a peace officer in a criminal proceeding unless there is other credible evidence which corroborates such report or in a civil action over a claim of executive or statutory privilege without a valid court order.
Official sources
Legal terms used in this section
Questions this section answers
Is duty to report use of force by peace officers or law enforcement animals a felony or a misdemeanor in Colorado?
It depends on the circumstances: duty to report use of force by peace officers or law enforcement animals ranges from a class 2 misdemeanor to a class 1 misdemeanor in Colorado under C.R.S. § 18-8-802.
Failure to report use of excessive force: class 2 misdemeanor (C.R.S. § 18-8-802(1)(c)) · Failure to intervene to prevent unlawful use of force: class 1 misdemeanor (C.R.S. § 18-8-802(1.5)(d))
Which Colorado statute covers duty to report use of force by peace officers or law enforcement animals?
Duty to report use of force by peace officers or law enforcement animals is governed by C.R.S. § 18-8-802 (Duty to report use of force by peace officers or law enforcement animals - duty to intervene).
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.