Colorado city pays $300,000 to settle claims from man intentionally run down by law enforcement

Colorado City Settles for $300,000 in Police Incident

The city of Craig, Colorado, has agreed to pay $300,000 to settle claims from a man seriously injured by a law enforcement vehicle. Tanner Sholes filed a federal lawsuit alleging constitutional rights violations after being intentionally hit by a sheriff’s SUV during a low-speed pursuit on September 22, 2023.

Details of the Incident

Sholes was walking along rural county roads when a Moffat County sheriff’s lieutenant drove into him with a police vehicle. At the time, Sholes had his hands raised and carried a BB gun hidden beneath his shirt but did not point it at officers. The undersheriff who ordered the action has been promoted since the event.

Injuries and Legal Action

Settlement Terms and City Statement

Craig, a city of 9,000 located 40 miles west of Steamboat Springs, does not admit liability. The city stated the payment is “only a settlement of disputed claims and done for purely economic reasons.” The agreement also requires Sholes to pay an existing medical lien held by the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing.

“It is only a settlement of disputed claims and done for purely economic reasons.”

Context and Previous Incidents

This settlement marks at least the fourth occasion since 2020 that Craig city officials have compensated individuals injured by law enforcement actions.

Craig’s settlement highlights ongoing legal and ethical issues surrounding law enforcement conduct in rural Colorado communities.

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The Denver Post The Denver Post — 2025-11-07

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