City of Fort Collins Settles Woman’s Police Brutality Lawsuit for $125,000

The City of Fort Collins has reached a settlement with the woman who sued both the city and a police officer over her 2017 arrest outside of her apartment.

According to The Coloradoan, Kimberley Chancellor, 27, received $125,000 from the city, an amount that her attorney David Lane said is just "the tip of the iceberg" in regards to police-related lawsuits.

Lane currently has four cases that involve the Fort Collins Police Police Services (FCPS), including that of Michaella Surat, whose 2017 arrest in Old Town went viral.

Chancellor filed the lawsuit against the city on October 4, 2019, alleging that Fort Collins Police Officer Stephen Sparacio used excessive force against her during her arrest.

The arrest occurred on October 6, 2017, when Sparacio saw Chancellor's car speeding in traffic.

He followed her vehicle on his motorcycle until she parked near Colorado State University.

Sparacio alleged that she attempted to flee the scene, requiring him to physically take her into custody.

Chancellor asserted that she fled the scene because she was "extremely nervous," and did not know that he was a police officer.

He then reportedly grabbed her and threw her onto the ground, before citing her for careless driving and obstructing a police officer.

A bystander video does show Sparacio grabbing Chancellor and taking her to the ground.

FCPS took internal action when addressing the case. The city decided to pay Chancellor with money from Fort Collins' loss fund.

While this case was not specifically addressed, City Council met on Tuesday (February 11) to discuss legal questions regarding police matters.