Officer Assaults Teen While On Duty, Gets Formally Charged

Denver District Attorney Beth McCann’s office formally second-degree assault charge against a Denver police officer accused of beating a 17-year-old with a metal baton Wednesday.

Sgt. Joseph Rodarte, 50, was arrested Thursday for fracturing the boy’s nose, breaking two bones in his right leg and causing a laceration over his eye. According to reports, Rodarte could not be reached for comment regarding the charges and it remained unclear whether he has an attorney to comment on the same.

Denver officials said Rodarte was suspended without pay, pending the outcome of the criminal charges.

The incident happened Aug. 22, when Rodarte and other officers were responding to a complaint which said a person was yelling obscenities. Reports said the teen was running from the police when Rodarte struck him around six times with his baton.

“Sergeant Rodarte struck (name redacted) once in the upper face, once on the middle back, once on the upper right leg, once on the lower right leg, once on the lower left leg, and once on the upper left leg, for a total six strikes,” an affidavit said.

The teen, who was not named, faced of resisting and interfering with police, CBS Denver reported.

“I was under the influence,” the teen said during his court appearance. “I took some LSD that day. I was very sensitive, very out of it. Apparently, they said they stopped me. I don’t know how my leg broke. It was all pretty hazy. My leg broke. My nose broke. It was all like a blur.”

“What I do recall from that day is his face. I do remember that he was extremely angry,” he said later.

The teen told the Denver Post he didn’t expect the officer would be charged so quickly.

“It’s good to know that he’s off the streets because he was an aggressive dude,” he said. “It could have been anyone else.”

According to the report, this was the first time in recent years that a Denver police officer was charged with a crime in connection with an on-duty use-of-force incident.

A statement was issued by Mayor Michael Hancock expressing his concern over the allegations. He expressed his commitment to support the teen and his family.

“Our city takes all incidents of alleged police misconduct very seriously. I, along with the Department of Safety and the Denver Police Department, are committed to cooperating fully with the District Attorney’s Office in its investigation,” Hancock said. “This is a matter of significant public concern and I am monitoring all developments closely.”

A report in CBS Denver said Rodarte faced more than 20 complaints of inappropriate force during his career, but all the complaints were ruled unfounded, not sustained, or he was exonerated. Rodarte has been with the department for 28 years, according to police records.

After his arrest Thursday, he was free on a personal recognizance bond Friday. Reports said he was scheduled for an advisement hearing Oct. 29.