Union Station Bathroom Beatdown: 2 More Guards Arrested In Denver

DENVER, CO – The Denver police department on Friday arrested two additional RTD private security guards in the investigation of the April beating of a man who was hospitalized for a week with a brain injury. Police say two men helped fellow security guard James Hunter, 34, when he allegedly beat a man at Union Station in a men's bathroom because "there [were] no cameras in there."

Taylor Taggert, 27 and Victor Diaz, 28, employees of Lakewood-based Allied Universal security company, are facing charges of accessory to first-degree assault/ intimidating a witness and first-degree assault respectively.

On Monday, the Denver County District Attorney's Office charged Hunter with first-degree assault and intimidating a witness for the beatdown that occurred April 20.

The victim reported the bathroom beatdown to Denver police May 17. He told police he attended a party April 19 and entered Union Station at 1701 Wyncoop Street early the next morning to catch public transportation home. He said he was surrounded by security guards who kept telling him to leave.

According to another guard's statement to police, Hunter allegedly began to antagonize the man, saying "so you think you're tough, huh? You think you're tough, prove it." When the man pointed out there was only one of him and three security guards, Hunter "suggested they go into the men's restroom where he could 'prove it,' because there were no cameras in the restrooms," the affidavit said.

Once inside the bathroom, the victim said Hunter punched him the face with a closed fist and he could not remember anything else until he woke up in his home two days later. The man said he suffered memory loss and headaches that led him to get medical attention after the incident. Doctors diagnosed him with a brain injury.

Related: Bathroom Beating: RTD Guard Allegedly Assaulted Denver Man

New affidavits assert that neither Taggert nor Diaz made any attempt to call an ambulance or give medical aid to the victim.

New surveillance video provided by RTD showed a "verbal altercation" between the victim and four uniformed security guards in the lower level of Union Station beginning around 2:41 a.m., according to arrest affidavits. Around 2:47, several security guards walked the victim to the bathroom, the video showed. Victor Diaz allegedly is seen clearing the bathroom of patrons, then pulling a gate across the bathroom door. Diaz was seen standing guard in front of the bathroom, then entering. The videos showed Diaz and Hunter exiting at 2:53, the affidavit said.

The two are seen approaching Sgt. Taylor Taggert, the affidavit said. A second security guard allegedly overheard Taggert being told that "someone should probably call EMS for a guy who fell in stall [Number three] and hit his head pretty bad." The video shows Taggert, Hunter and Diaz entering the bathroom, then Taggert "going in and out of the restroom several times until 0330 hours, when [the victim] was observed leaving thebathroom with a large bandage above his right eye, accompanied by Sgt. Taggert."

A fourth guard who witnessed the events was asked in May by employer Allied Universal to write a statement and said he was intimidated by Taggert and Hunter who "stood over as [he] wrote his statement," and "was not able to be truthful in his statement."

Allied Universal issued a statement regarding the incident:

The conduct alleged in this particular case is completely reprehensible and in no way reflective of our company culture, core values or high standards we set for our valued security professionals assigned to serve RTD. We are fully cooperating with both RTD and Denver Police on conducting a thorough investigation into this matter. We strongly condemn any behavior of this nature and should wrongdoing be found, we will take swift and appropriate actions.
Furthermore over the coming weeks, we will work with our onsite teams to review and reinforce the training policies and procedures that our officers are expected to adhere to. Refresher training will cover customer service, cultural sensitivity and awareness, management of aggressive behavior and de-escalation techniques.

Police said RTD is cooperating with the investigation.

This story will be updated.

Images: Taylor Taggert, Victor Diaz via Denver Police