Kevin Dizmang's death: Family sues first responders, claims schizophrenic man died after being choked

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO: The family of a Colorado man is suing a police officer and paramedic who allegedly choked him to death while responding to a mental health crisis, per Daily Mail. 

In November 2022, 63-year-old Kevin Dizmang was experiencing a mental health crisis, according to his family.

What happened to Kevin Dizmang? 

First responders from the Colorado Springs Fire and Police Departments were dispatched to assist Dizmang, who had a documented history of PTSD and schizophrenia.

Now, Dizmang's family has filed suit against police officer Sean Reed and fire department paramedic Nick Fisher.

Harry Daniels, an attorney for the family said, "Crisis response teams are specifically designed to prevent tragedies like this. Instead, they strangled a man begging for his life and laughed about it in the emergency room while he was dying."

According to the family's lawsuit, it was Fisher who tackled a 'clearly confused' Dizmang and placed him in a chokehold for nearly two minutes.

After he lost consciousness, Dizmang was allegedly shackled and left to lie on the ground for seven minutes before being put on a stretcher. Fisher, a hospital nurse, and another police officer are heard and seen on another police officer's bodycam film laughing about the takedown later on in the hospital while emergency personnel are giving Dizmang chest compressions, according to the complaint.

The lawsuit claims that on November 15, Fisher, Reed, and a certified psychotherapist answered a call concerning Dizmang, whom they had observed walking into the street and into oncoming traffic outside his mobile home in Colorado Springs. Officer Reed went up to Dizmang, who was "bent over with his hands on his knees." Dizmang proceeded to stroll "further into the road" while displaying signs of confusion.

Dizmang was given the order to "sit down or put your hands behind your back" by Reed, who then seized his left arm and threatened to arrest and handcuff the man, according to the lawsuit.

Dizmang moved past Reed and into a woody area. He was heard breathing heavily and saying "no" and "please don't." At that point, the civil complaint states, Fisher tackled Dizmang and put him in a chokehold, rendering him unresponsive. Fisher then laid Dizmang facedown on the ground and applied pressure to his face and neck by bearing down on top of him with his entire body weight for approximately forty-five seconds. The victim was having difficulty breathing; at that point, she was not responding, the lawsuit added.

The suit, which was filed on February 13 in the United States District Court in Colorado, alleged that Dizmang's death was ruled a homicide that "meets the elements of First Degree Murder."

What did the police statement cite? 

An autopsy revealed that the cause of Dizmang's death was determined to have been caused as a result of "cardiopulmonary arrest in the setting of physical restraint, acute methamphetamine intoxication, COPD and asthma, cardiomegaly, diaphragmatic paralysis, and obesity." 

The El Paso county coroner wrote, as cited in the suit, that it is his opinion that Dizmang's fatal injuries were incurred in a police-involved encounter.

The 4th Judicial District Attorney's Officer did not file charges against any of the first responders, according to a statement from the Colorado Springs Fire and Police Departments, which stated they do not comment on ongoing legal matters.

"Anytime a community member dies, we are saddened at the loss of life. We take these events seriously and, in this case, had the Deadly Force Investigation Team, led by the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, investigate this event," read the statement in part.

The statement said, "They then sent the case to the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office for review and determination of the reasonableness of the force that was used. This exceeds the requirement by Colorado law, but we believe it is best for transparency and honest review for our community." 

It added, "All of our Community Response Team members are highly trained professionals, coming from diverse backgrounds with the goal of assisting our community members who are in crisis and need immediate intervention. Unfortunately, even with all of the training and expertise on this CRT team, we can't control every factor involved in an interaction with a community member such as the actions, underlying medical conditions and intoxication of the involved person prior to our involvement."

Kevin Dizmang's daughter suing to obtain relief and damages

Daniels, the family's attorney, has asked that the public remember that Dizmang was a man who was suffering, but was also a loved member of a now-devastated family.

"This is a father, a grandfather who was loved dearly by his family, by his grandchildren, and despite the fact that he came across some demons and had his issues, that does not negate the value of his life," he said.

The wrongful death lawsuit against Reed and Fisher was launched by Dizmang's daughter, paramedic Kenda James. She has stated that before his untimely death, her father was never able to meet one of her daughters. She is suing to obtain relief and damages in an amount not yet determined.

Her counsel has requested a jury trial. Fisher had left the Colorado Springs Fire Department at the time the lawsuit was filed, and Reed had chosen to take on a different role within the organization, according to the public relations officer for the department.