WOULD-BE BURGLAR RAMS STOLEN VEHICLE INTO ATM

SPRINGS» A burglar COLORADO rammed a stolen vehicle into an ATM machine at a credit union, destroying the machine but failing to get any cash, police say.

The crash happened at 4:17 a.m. Wednesday, according to police.

The thief abandoned the damaged vehicle.

Thieves have committed a rash of smash-and-grab burglaries at a variety of businesses including convenience, gun and liquor stores from Colorado Springs to Northern Colorado.

Parents allege school violated son’s civil rights, let him be bullied and stabbed.

COLORADO

The mother of an adolescent boy who was stabbed in the chest with a pencil by an 11-year-old classmate a year ago at Carmel Middle School has filed a civil-rights lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Denver.

The complaint, submitted last week, claims Harrison School District 2 violated the rights of Sherise Nipper’s son because of “injuries caused by failure to prevent ongoing physical and verbal bullying due to racial issues and disability.”

The district and superintendent, board president, principal, security officer and other staff members are named as defendants.

Jury awards $760,000 in excessive-force lawsuit.

Attorneys for a veteran who sued Kremmling police officers say a jury has agreed they used excessive force when arresting the man in 2015.

A statement issued by Robert Mark Smith’s attorneys says a federal jury awarded him about $760,000 Wednesday in the suit against the town of Kremmling, its police chief and two other officers.

Attorneys representing the town, Police Chief Scott Spade, Sgt. Todd Wilson and Officer Robert Dillon declined to comment Wednesday.

The original lawsuit says Smith had become a frequent critic of local police and didn’t want to allow officers into his home without a warrant in March 2013.

The suit says three officers came inside, used a Taser on Smith and “kicked, stomped and/or punched” him when he was lying on his stomach.

SpaceX launches communications satellite.

CAPE

SpaceX has launched and landed its second rocket in three days, this time from the East Coast.

The unmanned Falcon — recycled after a February flight — blasted off with a communications satellite Wednesday evening from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. Minutes later, the leftover booster landed on an offshore barge.

Successfully placed in orbit, the dual-mission satellite will be shared by Colorado-based EchoStar and SES, a Luxembourg company.

Early Monday, a SpaceX Falcon soared from Southern California with Iridium satellites.

That first stage also was recovered.