Colorado police officer charged after allegedly pistol whipping and choking man during arrest

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A police officer in the Denver suburb of Aurora is facing multiple felony charges for allegedly pistol-whipping and choking a man during an arrest on Friday, and a second officer is facing charges for allegedly failing to intervene in the attack. 

Aurora Police Chief Vanessa Wilson presented the body camera footage at a press conference on Tuesday, calling the officers' actions "very despicable."

"What you're going to see is going to anger you, it may even bring you to tears," Wilson said. "This video will shock your conscience. It is very disturbing."

Aurora police Officers John Haubert and Francine Martinez were called to the scene on a report of trespassing Friday afternoon when they encountered three men who all had felony warrants out for their arrest. Officers attempted to apprehend the men and two of them fled, at which point the officers turned their attention to the third man, 29-year-old Kyle Vinson, who was seated on the ground.

Haubert instructed Vinson to roll over on his stomach then put the muzzle of his gun to the back of Vinson's head. 

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As the confrontation quickly escalates, the body camera footage shows Haubert striking Vinson in the head as he screams, "You’re killing me, bro."

"If you move, I will shoot you," Haubert told Vinson as he repeatedly said to stop fighting. \Martinez's body camera then shows Haubert choking Vinson, who was bloody with visible marks on his face where he had been hit. 

Officer John Haubert put his gun to the back of the man's head as he tried to apprehend him.  (Aurora Police Department)

The man had to receive six stitches to a cut on his face.  (Aurora Police Department)

Wilson said Tuesday that she wants to "apologize from the bottom of my heart from every officer in the Aurora Police Department."

"We're disgusted. We're angry. This is not police work. This is not police work. We don't train this. It's not acceptable," Wilson said. "This is not Aurora Police Department. This was criminal."

Haubert was arrested on three felony charges – attempted first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and felony menacing – as well as two misdemeanors. 

He told a sergeant after the arrest that Vinson was bleeding because he "pistol-whipped him," and said, "I was going to shoot him but I didn’t know if I had a round in it or not," according to an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by the Denver Post. 

This undated photo provided by the Aurora Police Department shows Colorado police officer John Haubert who was arrested after he allegedly beat a man with his pistol, choked him and threatened to kill him while attempting an arrest on Friday, July 23, 2021. (Aurora Police Department via AP) (Arapahoe Sheriff's Office)

Vinson did not have any serious injuries but had to get six stitches for a cut on his face. 

Martinez is facing two charges for allegedly failing to intervene in the assault. Both officers turned themselves in this week.

Colorado's legislature passed a police reform bill last year that requires officers to intervene when witnessing the use of excessive force by colleagues, limits potentially lethal uses of force, ends qualified immunity, requires body cameras for all officers by July 2023, and institutes other changes. 

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The Aurora Police Department has dealt with multiple police abuse cases in recent years, most notably in the August 2019 death of Elijah McClain. 

In that case, officers were called to a neighborhood on a report of a "suspicious person" when they encounter McClain, a 23-year-old Black man. A struggle ensued and an officer put McClain in a chokehold while paramedics injected him with Ketamine, a sedative. McClain went into cardiac arrest and was taken off life support less than a week later. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.