Officer disciplined for failure to use body camera, for inappropriate force

A Denver police corporal is being suspended for four days and fined two days’ pay for failing to turn on his body camera while interacting with a suspect and for “nudging” the handcuffed suspect by placing his foot against the suspect’s chest.

Cpl. Daniel Morehead, a 12-year veteran of the department, admitted to inappropriate force and failure to turn on his body camera during an April 23 shift, according to a departmental order of disciplinary action obtained this week.

Morehead was going to the scene of a vehicle crash, in which a driver eluded police, when he encountered a man suspected of fleeing the crash on foot. Morehead got out of his patrol vehicle and identified himself as an officer, ordering the man to stop and show his hands.

The suspect did not immediately comply, the disciplinary document said. Morehead grabbed the suspect by the arm and, with the help of another officer, took him into custody.

Morehead did not activate his camera during the interaction, the document said. A police recruit did, however, activate a body camera. Video showed that Morehead “nudged the suspect back about four inches with his foot on the suspect’s left chest,” the document said. The man was not injured by Morehead’s actions.

During a pre-disciplinary hearing, Morehead took responsibility, acknowledging “that this was not a good demonstration of appropriate behavior for his recruit who was present.”

Morehead has received eight departmental commendations, including two Distinguished Service Crosses. His disciplinary history is minimal, with one written reprimand, according to the document.