Pueblo Police Accused of Cover-Up in Excessive Force Lawsuit

Cristy Gonzales alleges officer Bennie Villanueva used excessive force, and the department failed to report it, potentially violating state law enforcement standards.

• Cristy Gonzales, who was suspected of stealing a vehicle, is suing Pueblo police officer Bennie Villanueva and the city's police chief, accusing the department of failing to report excessive force.
• The lawsuit alleges that Villanueva used excessive force against Gonzales and another person, but the incidents were not reported to the state board overseeing law enforcement qualifications.
• If the incidents had been reported, Villanueva would have lost his certification to work as a police officer for at least a year.
• Gonzales was hit with two Taser probes in the small of her back near her spine and continues to have numbness and difficulty using her right hand.
• The lawsuit claims that the Pueblo Police Department did not report any disqualifying incidents for any of its officers in 2022.

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