Larimer County will pay $5 million to the family of a man who was killed after a sheriff’s deputy shocked him with a Taser in the middle of Interstate 25 and then was hit by oncoming traffic as the man lay helpless in the road.
The family of Brent Allan Thompson sued the sheriff’s office in April, saying Deputy Lorenzo Lujan should have been aware of his surroundings when he chased Thompson onto the interstate and fired the Taser as cars were fast approaching.
Although the 18th Judicial District Attorneycleared Lujan of any criminal wrongdoing, Ciara Anderson, the Thompson family attorney, called the death unconstitutional during a Friday morning news conference to announce the settlement.
She criticized Larimer County officials’ handling of the death and said they created more distrust of law enforcement in the county. Lujan continues to work as sheriff’s deputy on patrol.
“Larimer County leadership from the sheriff to the district attorney were more concerned with smearing the name of Brent Thompson than holding their deputy accountable,” Anderson said. “Blaming Brent for his death was callous and dishonest.”
Lujan’s actions were against the sheriff’s office policy for using a Taser but the deputy was never disciplined for it, she said.
“Training alone will never fix a culture of bad policing,” Anderson said.
On the night of Feb. 18, 2023, Lujan pulled Thompson over in a traffic stop outside a motel for driving with an expired license tag, and Thompson gave the deputy a fake name when asked for identification. When the deputy informed Thompson that he was under arrest, Thompson fled toward the interstate.
Lujan pursued Thompson in the dark as Thompson jumped over a guardrail and ran onto I-25. Lujan followed and fired his Taser while Thompson was running in a northbound lane. Thompson collapsed as speeding cars were bearing down on him. The entire incident was recorded on Lujan’s body camera.
Lujan yelled expletives when he saw headlights speeding toward him and ran for safety on the other side of the interstate. A man driving a Ford Explorer ran over Thompson, who was wearing a camouflage sweatshirt and black pants and lying on the ground. The driver’s wife and three children also were in the SUV.
Thompson was only suspected of a misdemeanor and was unarmed, Anderson said. He posed no threat to Lujan and before the foot chase the deputy had learned Thompson’s true identity and knew where he could find him later.
Michelle Bird, a Larimer County Board of Commissioners spokeswoman, said the county settled after receiving guidance from its insurers, who will pay the majority of the $5 million.
“It seemed the best path forward at this point for everyone involved,” she said.
Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen issued a statement Friday saying, he was saddened by the Thompson family’s loss and that multiple lives were changed forever because of his death.
“Every incident provides an opportunity to reflect and grow as an agency, and the events of February 18, 2023 are no exception,” Feyen’s statement said. “Deputies are routinely faced with making split-second decisions in rapidly changing environments. We will continue to use this incident as a case study for internal discussions about complex decision-making, dynamic situations, safety priorities, and the consequences of action or inaction.”
Karen Kay Thompson on Friday described her son as loving and kind.
“Our hearts are shattered,” she said.
Thompson’s family said the settlement brought some accountability, but does not solve problems within the sheriff’s department.
“Money does not bring Brent back,” his grandmother, Karen Thompson, said. “Justice was not served. Money is not the answer. Larimer county residents, you are still paying for this deputy who did wrong.”
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Originally Published: August 30, 2024 at 12:51 p.m.
