Former Boulder County Sergeant Accused Of Excessive Force

BOULDER COUNTY, CO — A former Boulder County Sheriff's sergeant was arrested Tuesday in connection with an assault at the county's jail.

Christopher Mecca, 51, faces charges of third-degree assault and official misconduct, the Boulder County Sheriff's Office said. He's accused of using excessive force against a Black man who was taken into custody.

"Mecca previously resigned his employment during the disciplinary process, in lieu of termination, for violating a number of policies, including departure from his training, and for egregious violations of the core mission and values of the sheriff’s office," the office said in a news release.

On Sept. 23, Mecca was working as one of the Boulder County Jail supervisors, when Longmont police officers brought in a 32-year-old Arkansas man who was accused of domestic violence, officials said.

"The inmate was reported to have been physically combative while being placed under arrest by Longmont officers and was intoxicated," the news release read.

"During transport to the jail, the inmate said he was unsure if he would be cooperative with jail deputies upon arrival."

Don't miss the latest news updates in Boulder: Free Boulder Patch Newsletters and Email Alerts | Facebook | Twitter

Two deputies walked the man to a pat search mat and began asking him routine screening questions, when the man buckled at the knees and "purposely went limp ... as a means of being passively resistant," officials said.

Mecca then told deputies to put the man in a restraint chair, and the 32-year-old began spitting at staff and tried to bite a deputy, according to the sheriff's office. The deputies were able to get control of the man and used a spit sock, but Mecca then "drive stunned the man on his left thigh for five seconds with a Taser," officials said.

"The Taser utilization was against sheriff’s office policy and was determined to be both an unnecessary and excessive use of force," the office said.

Mecca reported his actions to the night shift jail commander and was suspended from duty and placed on administrative leave.

An investigation was launched, and after a review of the facts, Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle ordered a criminal investigation. An arrest warrant for Mecca was then issued.

“I am deeply troubled about the unnecessary force used, as it is contrary to the mission, vision, and values of what the sheriff’s office stands for," Pelle said in a statement.

"While former sergeant Mecca’s underlying motivation isn’t known, the unnecessary application of force on a person of color is especially concerning.”

Mecca was hired by the sheriff’s office in March 2007 as a deputy and was promoted to sergeant in January 2018. He received several honors during his tenure and has no prior disciplinary record, including any allegations of excessive force, the sheriff's office said.

The incident was captured by a body camera, however because a criminal case has been filed, the footage is evidence and can't be released pending criminal prosecution, the sheriff's office said.

The office included the following statement in its news release:

The investigation into this incident is on-going, and while we currently have no indication that the excessive force was racially motivated, based on victim and witness statements, we will continue to work toward ensuring that anyone who is interacting with our organization, feels safe, no matter their race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender, or any other status. The sheriff’s office is committed and intentionally focused on race and equity issues within law enforcement and county government; from our long-time representation on Boulder County’s Cultural Responsiveness and Inclusion Advisory Committee (CRIAC) to the more recent introduction of Courageous Conversations about Race™ to our staff. More information on the Sheriff’s efforts in race and equity issues can be found on our Race and Equity webpage.