LACSO former deputies charged for 2022 incident

Editor’s Note: Article updated to reflect the organization FOX21 contacted for comment.

(LAS ANIMAS COUNTY, Colo.) — Two former Las Animas County Sheriff’s Office (LACSO) deputies have been charged with misdemeanors after tasing a man in the face in 2022.

On the day of the incident in Nov. 2022, Espinoza and his son were driving separate cars. When his son got pulled over by Henry Trujillo and Mikhail Noel for a traffic citation, Espinoza also pulled over behind them to wait for his son.

While waiting, he was approached by Trujillo and Noel who told Espinoza to “get out of here” multiple times according to Kevin Mehr, Espinoza’s attorney. After some back and forth, Espinoza pulls away to leave, but Noel changed his mind and began screaming at him to stay then both deputies handcuffed Espinoza.

In the body camera released in April 2023, Espinoza can be seen being handcuffed, tased, and jabbed with a stun gun. The incident gained local, state, and national media coverage.

In July 2024, Trujillo and Noel were both charged with the same five misdemeanors:

• Third-Degree Assault
• Peace Officer Failure to Intervene
• Official Misconduct
• Official Oppression
• Menacing

Both men were LACSO deputies until late Aug. 2023, when they were terminated after a third-party investigation by the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office (PSCO) determined they had violated LACSO policy.

The 65-page report revealed there was no justifiable reason for Espinoza’s detainment and condemned the actions of Noel and Trujillo. Deputies interviewed during the investigation expressed their astonishment at the aggressive behavior displayed by the former deputies.

“We’ve all seen the body camera. It speaks for itself. This was just totally unjustified. It was brutal. And that’s what this report says, that Ken had committed no law violation. That he had done absolutely nothing wrong,” said Mehr in a previous report.

Trujillo and Noel will both appear in court on Wednesday, July 24, 2024.

FOX21 reached out to the LACSO for comment, and has yet to receive a response.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado.