Englewood police officer charged with assault in traffic stop incident

An Englewood police officer faces multiple assault charges after pulling a man out of his car during a traffic stop last month and putting him in a chokehold, according to court documents. Ryan Scott Vasina, 30, was charged with second-degree assault, third-degree assault and first-degree official misconduct, according to a news release from the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Vasina pulled over 20-year-old Carlos Rangel-Rincones, described in the affidavit as a Venezuelan national, shortly after 11 p.m. Oct. 8, near South Lincoln Street and East Layton Avenue, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed Monday in Arapahoe County District Court. The Englewood officer pulled Rangel-Rincones over for running a stop sign, investigators said in the affidavit, citing dash-camera video. Rangel-Rincones told investigators through an interpreter that he primarily speaks Spanish and knows minimal English, so he had trouble understanding Vasina during the traffic stop. Vasina repeatedly asked Rangel-Rincones for his license and did not answer the man’s questions about why, according to the document. He told Rangel-Rincones to turn off the car, and the man complied, but then asked for the keys, which Rangel-Rincones did not turn over. The officer pulled Rangel-Rincones from the car to the ground, put him in a chokehold and used a Taser on him, police wrote in the affidavit. “The penalty for a stop sign, driver’s license or even a refusal to identify themselves does not warrant a use of force response that Vasina is engaged in without any active resistance, threatening language, furtive movements or attempts to flee or evade questioning,” an investigator for the Arapahoe County District Attorney’s Office wrote in the document. The type of chokehold Vasina used in the traffic stop is forbidden under Colorado law, and all chokeholds are prohibited under the Englewood Police Department’s use-of-force policy unless deadly force is authorized. The dash-camera video shows Vasina immediately placing his arm on Rangel-Rincones’s neck. He did not attempt to move it for 12 seconds, at which point he released the hold to handcuff the man, police said. Rangel-Rincones did not resist Vasina at any time, even when being grabbed and choked, and asking questions does not mean he refused to cooperate, investigators wrote in the affidavit. “State law makes it clear that officers shall apply non-violent means, when possible, before resorting to the use of physical force,” District Attorney Amy Padden said in a statement. “… The traffic violations that the driver was allegedly stopped for are not arrestable crimes, and the driver did not resist, fight or fail to comply with lawful orders before force was used against him.” The chokehold and use of handcuffs and a Taser without probable cause all violate Colorado law and the Englewood Police Department’s policies, the affidavit stated. Related Articles 2 accused of murder in Lakewood shooting take plea deals Man charged with attempted pimping, extortion of women in Colorado may have other victims, prosecutors say Final person under indictment in metro Denver theft, burglary ring arrested 2 killed in Erie plane crash were practicing touch-and-go landings, report finds Denver man gets 8 years probation for attempted child sex assault in Larimer County The police department did not answer questions Tuesday about Vasina’s employment status and history with the agency. The officer was officially terminated from the department last month, according to the District Attorney’s Office. “The former officer’s conduct does not reflect the values of the Englewood Police Department,” Chief David Jackson said in a statement. “Our officers are expected to serve with professionalism, respect and restraint.” A news conference with the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office about the incident is scheduled for 11 a.m. Tuesday. This is a developing story and may be updated. Sign up to get crime news sent straight to your inbox each day