Two Las Animas County sheriff’s deputies who shocked a handcuffed man with a Taser as he tried to watch a traffic stop were fired in late August after an independent investigation found they had no legal basis to detain the man, used excessive force and wrote false reports, according to a report made public Monday.
The 69-page internal affairs report also recommends local authorities pursue a criminal investigation into the actions of Lt. Henry Trujillo and Deputy Mikhail Noel during the November 2022 incident.
The two deputies shocked Kenneth Espinoza with Tasers even though he had committed no crime, was unarmed and, at one point, handcuffed, body-worn camera footage shows.
Both men were fired Aug. 25, Las Animas County sheriff’s Lt. Phil Martin confirmed Monday. Third Judicial District Attorney Henry Solano said Monday his office is reviewing the case to determine whether the deputies should face criminal charges.
“We have received the report, and the matter is under investigation,” he said.