13 Investigates: Man tased repeatedly by Huerfano County Sheriff’s deputies in 2021

HUERFANO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- Attorneys for an Oklahoma man tased multiple times back in May of 2021 are calling for accountability. 38-year-old Travis Foutch was inside the Huerfano County Jail on felony assault and eluding charges when multiple deputies deployed their tasers onto Foutch who, his attorneys say, was standing inside the cell and not threatening the deputies.

The body-worn camera video from the morning of May 3, 2021, shows Foutch naked inside his jail cell when multiple deputies enter with their tasers drawn asking him to turn around, telling him to do so "before you get tased." What follows is Foutch being drug to the ground of the jail where he was tased several more times.

FULL BODY-WORN CAMERA VIDEO

Warning: This video contains loud screams of a man being tased.

Foutch's attorney, Shawn Conti, tells 13 Investigates that Foutch was clearly exhibiting symptoms of someone who had just been in a serious car accident. Mere hours before being taken to the Huerfano County Jail, Foutch was arrested on assault with a deadly weapon and vehicular eluding charges tied to allegations that he failed to comply with a traffic stop and was driving the wrong way along Interstate-25.

"They choose to do the wrong thing and they deploy their Tasers on him. Somebody that is not cognizant of what they're saying, somebody that was just in a serious accident," Conti said. "They don't deploy their tasers just once. They do it once, twice. It looks as if they did it at least eight times."

Foutch's arresting documents outline that he "failed to yield to the Trinidad Police Department" before heading north along I-25 into the Huerfano County Sheriff's offices jurisdiction. Arresting documents outline that Foutch's vehicle "rammed" into Deputy Scott Eckhardt's patrol vehicle, which was parked in the middle of I-25. The collision caused Eckhardt, who was in the vehicle at the time, to go to the hospital after he was "unconscious" and was bleeding and gasping for air, according to arrest records.

However, Conti alleges that Deputy Eckhardt positioning his vehicle in a "roadblock" formation violated policy.

"He was in the process of performing an illegal roadblock. And at the time of the collision, he was at a standstill. His car was not moving on Interstate 25. The weather and the visibility were horrible," Conti said.

13 Investigates spoke to Foutch who says the use of force used by the deputies has had a profound impact on him.

"Physically, emotionally, financially, it's hit us. It's been tough on my wife and I both, it's been hell," Foutch said. "Just because they're suspect or something doesn't mean doesn't give them the right to just do whatever they want."

Conti says he's noticed a tangible shift in Foutch's demeanor since the incident. A man who was once outgoing has become more reserved, and more uncertain of law enforcement.

"He was an avid fisherman, avid hunter, avid outdoorsman, and now he just doesn't want to leave the house. He had a tremendous amount of faith and respect in our system, in our judicial system that that faith and his belief in law enforcement, it's been shattered and he's afraid of them," Conti said.

13 Investigates reached out to Huerfano County Sheriff Bruce Newman for comment on what the video shows. We are still awaiting his response.

Arresting documents outline that investigating deputies found a vodka container and marijuana inside Foutch's car. He still faces multiple felony charges including vehicular assault and eluding, which Conti is working to negotiate a plea deal on.

In addition, he is planning on filing a lawsuit against the Huerfano County Sheriff's office for alleged use-of-force violations inside the jail.

Watch KRDO News Channel 13 at 10 to see the never before seen video of Foutch's encounter with Huerfano County deputies inside the jail.