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Friday, Feb. 20, 2026

Can police officers be sued for misconduct in Colorado?

Cassis Tingley, The Colorado Sun
yes

A law passed in 2020 allows Colorado residents to sue law enforcement officers for infringing on their rights under the state constitution. 

Senate Bill 217 states that qualified immunity, the legal doctrine that shields officers from being held personally liable for on-duty misconduct, is not a defense against civil action. It also upped Colorado’s reporting requirements for the use of force by police, banned their use of chokeholds and set a July 2023 deadline for all police agencies to equip their officers with body-worn cameras. 

The bill was introduced after a Minneapolis police officer’s murder of George Floyd led to protests nationwide, including in Colorado. Colorado police departments have since settled several major lawsuits over misconduct, including a $15 million settlement in the 2019 police-involved killing of Elijah McClain in Aurora and a $19 million settlement in the 2023 killing of Christian Glass by a Clear Creek County sheriff’s deputy.

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