'I Dropped My Phone': Father Of Kyle Vinson Demands Action Against Aurora Police Officers
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) - The family of Kyle Vinson, the man at the center of a violent arrest by two Aurora police officers, is speaking out about what happened. Maurice Vinson is his father.
He found out about his son's injuries from the news.
"When I seen that video, and I seen what was happening I thought he was going to die. He was saying 'you're killing me.' I dropped my phone. My wife, she was just ... I had to pick her up off the ground," Maurice said.
He has been unable to reach his son and was told he was taken to the hospital and then to jail on an outstanding warrant for violating probation in a domestic violence case from 2018.
The officers involved in the altercation have also been arrested. Officer Francine Martinez faces charges for failing to intervene, and Officer John Haubert, who is accused of the assault itself, faces multiple felonies. Both bonded out of jail.
"They almost killed him. They bond out of jail. They are out, and they won't let my son bond out of jail," Maurice said.
In an effort to be more transparent, Aurora police Chief Vanessa Wilson released the video just days after the incident. Prior to her stepping into lead and reform the department, Aurora police officers were involved in several high-profile use of force cases.
"We are disgusted. We are angry. This is not police work. We don't train this. It's not acceptable," she said at a press conference on Tuesday morning.
Maurice heard her statements, and even with an apology to his family, still he says he wants to see more from the department.
"That's not good enough. I have seen so many cases, and I feel they do what they have to do to cover themselves."
