Michael Morelock is only 30 years old and has only been working for the Denver Police Department for four years. But in that short time, the police officer has managed to stir up some serious doubt surrounding his behavior both on and off of the job.
Last February, Morelock was arrested and pleaded guilty to DUI charges. Charges against the young officer, who is now suspended from work with pay, have grown more serious and involve accusations of violence and dishonesty.
In fact, according to sources, within his first couple of years working for the Denver Police Department, more than 20 claims of excessive force have been filed against Morelock. His dubious history led to the current internal investigation regarding Morelock’s professional behavior, the results of which could lead to his permanent dismissal as a Denver police officer.
The Denver Post mentioned three specific cases against Officer Morelock:
- When Tyler Mustard was charged with assaulting Morelock, he argued that Morelock and his fellow officer unnecessarily beat him up during an arrest resulting from a non-violent crime. According to Mustard’s lawsuit, he suffered head injuries and a collapsed lung at the hands of Morelock. Mustard charges that Morelock lied about the incident when he told the court that Mustard attacked him and therefore provoked violence. The Denver judge dismissed that case.
- Alonzo Barrett accuses Officer Morelock of exercising excessive force by beating him with a club and purposely breaking his own police car’s window during the incident. The Barrett case has reportedly stalled since prosecutors decided not to go after Morelock.
- Nick Lynch does not claim that Morelock assaulted him during an arrest, but that Morelock stood by and watched while a fellow Denver officer attacked him in 2008. Lynch accuses Morelock of lying by not identifying the officer who hurt him.
Morelock’s history, including the above cases against him, is currently under investigation. As mentioned earlier in this post, 21 claims of excessive force have been filed against the young Denver officer, so the investigation might take some time. We will update you when information about the future of Morelock’s job and/or any potential legal consequences becomes public.
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The Denver Post: Denver police officer suspended during excessive force investigation