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By all accounts, a teenager busted by Adams County deputy David Morrow was plenty drunk.
But Morrow’s the one in trouble — after allegedly punching the teen in the face, breaking his jaw in the process. Among the charges he’s facing: child abuse and second-degree assault.
According to affidavit obtained by 9News, Morrow and five other deputies responded to a June 12 report about a party out of bounds on Welby Road. There, a birthday bash for T.J. Arce, 21, was underway at an outdoor shed that’s known as a hang-out spot for a group of young people who call themselves “the 88 block.”
As soon as officers arrived, most of the revelers split, with the exception of Arce and a fifteen-year-old who the birthday boy admits was severely soused — an opinion confirmed by a subsequent blood alcohol test that registered a .202, more than double the legal limit. The teen was soon taken into custody and placed in an ambulance, where his feet and hands were restrained. His lips weren’t, however, and when the teen reportedly mouthed off rather than answer questions, Morrow allegedly struck him on the left side of his jaw with a closed fist, breaking it on impact.
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An instant later, Morrow looked at the faces around him and asked, “Nobody saw anything, right?”
Yes, they did. When one of the paramedics noted that the teen was bleeding, Morrow is said to have answered, “I guess I’ll have to figure that out.” The deputy subsequently maintained that “this has never happened before… it’s never going to happen again. I just lost my temper.”
Next to be lost could be his job. Charges of child abuse and second-degree assault, plus official oppression and tampering with a witness, were just filed, a couple of weeks after Morrow was placed on paid administrative leave from a gig he’s held since 2004.
In a brief conversation with CBS4, Morrow said, “The rumors going around are completely false.”
He’d better hope so. Look below to see a 9News report:
More from our Colorado Crimes archive: “Anne Kelly, Denver Sheriff’s deputy, charged with 3rd-degree assault for slapping DUI suspect.”
