Denver use-of-force cases, complaints rise
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Reported use-of-force incidents by Denver police rose 13% in 2025, marking the fourth consecutive year of gradual increase.
Why it matters: The continued increase raises concerns about a tactic that can erode public trust in law enforcement and cost the city millions in settlements.
By the numbers: The 993 reported uses of force last year — 112 more than in 2024 — marked the highest total in five years of publicly shared Denver Police Department data.
- Public use-of-force complaints also rose, nearly doubling to 67 last year, per an Office of the Independent Monitor report published Monday.
- Meanwhile, internal department complaints for the same reason last year dropped to six from 24 in 2024.
Context: Over the past two years, police responded to multiple large-scale protests, including last June's "No Kings" protests and demonstrations outside Palantir headquarters, contributing to the rise in reported incidents, police chief Ron Thomas says.
- Another reason for the uptick: Since September 2020, officers have been required by state law to tally drawing or pointing a firearm as a use of force, he adds.
- Officers made contact with more people engaged in or suspected of criminal activity last year than in years past, likely leading to more reports.
Zoom in: During a "No Kings" protest in October, officers shot demonstrators with pepperballs after some attempted to access the highway, resulting in nearly 30 use-of-force reports, DPD spokesperson Doug Schepman tells us.
- "Most of these events are entirely peaceful," Thomas adds.
Between the lines: Use of force is defined as any time an officer uses physical force outside of hand control or handcuffing someone, Thomas says.
- Discharging a weapon, taking someone down, striking another car, or using so-called less-lethal tools like pepper spray are other examples.
The intrigue: As DPD considers revamping its approach to discipline with an education-based approach, Thomas says neither he nor anyone else in the department has considered applying this approach to handle discipline in use-of-force cases.
What they're saying: Independent monitor Liz Castle, who has publicly criticized the proposed education-based disciplinary method, saying it would reduce accountability, calls the rise in use-of-force reports "concerning."
- However, she tells us there's nuance behind the rising numbers: "You can't always say there's more complaints because there's more force being used or inappropriate force."
What's next: Thomas says reducing use of force could involve revising officers' instructions for when it's appropriate and increasing de-escalation training.