AURORA — A Colorado attorney claims he sees a pattern of concerning crimes connected to individuals who have been employed with the Aurora Police Department (APD).

While those with APD said they do not tolerate officer misconduct at any level, Matthew Haltzman has questions about a number of cases he came across while working on a lawsuit related to a former school resource officer.

"These are overlapping patterns that do not exist in other police departments," Haltzman said.

The civil lawsuit claims a former Aurora school resource officer (SRO) was "grooming" a high school student by engaging in "explicit and inappropriate sexual conversations" via text.

The lawsuit names Egide “DJ” Ndagije and the Aurora Police Department as defendants. Denver7 is not naming the plaintiff in this case, since they were a minor at the time.

Ndagije was employed at Aurora Central High School when a 16-year-old student reached out to him for help in October 2023, according to the filing. The lawsuit claims Aurora PD "failed to properly vet, train, and supervise" Ndagije, who was 25 years old at the time.

Within the lawsuit are pictures of text messages allegedly exchanged between the plaintiff and Ndagije.

Ndagije was charged with first-degree official misconduct in March 2024. He pleaded guilty to the charge at the beginning of 2025, according to court records.

The teenager allegedly showed the messages to her mother in October 2023. Her mother called APD, and an Internal Affairs Investigation was launched, according to the filing.

The internal investigation revealed Ndagije allegedly took photographs of the 16-year-old's backside without her knowledge or consent, and "shared these photographs with others."

Previously, a spokesperson with Aurora PD told Denver7 they do not comment on pending litigation. However, if Ndagije did not resign during the active internal investigation, he would have been fired from the department.

APD also made the necessary notifications to POST that ultimately led to Ndagije losing his certification.

While researching the case, Haltzman compiled a timeline he believes shows a "startling and upsetting" pattern within APD.

"I often make the analogy: if this were a school district where there were five teachers that had been convicted or charged with sexual exploitation crimes, the community would be up in arms," Haltzman said.

The first case Haltzman noted is from 2010, when our partners at The Denver Post reported an Aurora police sergeant was arrested on suspicion of possession and distribution of child pornography. Court records show Morgan Sellman pleaded guilty to child sexual exploitation in 2012.

Then, Haltzman pointed at a case from 2011 when The Denver Post documented charges of sexual exploitation of a child related to an Aurora police officer and a 15-year-old runaway. Michael Mangino took a plea deal in 2012.

In 2024, allegations that a retired APD sergeant sexually and physically abused children came to light. According to our partners at The Denver Post, Michael Hawkins denied the accusations through his attorney. The alleged abuse is not believed to be connected to Hawkins when he was on-duty with APD. That case is still pending.

Then, in 2025, the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force arrested an Aurora police sergeant who served as a school resource officer supervisor. Sergeant Aaron Bunch, 47, was arrested on charges "related to the online sexual exploitation of a child," and those charges involve "the electronic exchange of child exploitation material via the internet," according to the Aurora Police Department.

The FBI believes Bunch could have sought minor victims between 2005 to 2025.

"Aurora Police Department is absolutely an outlier. This is not a normal thing for police departments to be having to go through," Haltzman said.

Denver7 reached out to APD about these claims from Haltzman. A spokesperson sent over the following statement:

As soon as the Aurora Police Department becomes aware of an officer’s misconduct, they are immediately removed from operational duty and an internal investigation is launched that ultimately results in their separation from the agency. The Aurora Police Department does not tolerate officer misconduct at any level. We hold our officers to a higher standard and take swift action to investigate and hold every employee accountable when there is evidence of wrongdoing.
Spokesperson, Aurora Police Department

See the article here: https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/in-your-community/aurora-arapahoe-county/attorney-claims-there-is-a-startling-pattern-of-child-sex-crimes-connected-to-aurora-police

Fort Collins, Colorado – A Colorado State University student is suing the City of Fort Collins and two police officers who he said wrongfully arrested him for driving under the influence just over a year ago.

On July 16, 2025, Nathan May, an incoming senior at CSU, was pulled over near South College Avenue and Boardwalk Drive by two Fort Collins Police Services officers for driving without his headlights on for a short period of time after he left a late-night movie screening.

According to the lawsuit, filed on his behalf by attorneys Sarah Schielke and Matthew Haltzman, Fort Collins police officers Trevor Cacciatore and Vince Hooley accused May of a DUI after he was stopped.

May presented no immediate signs of intoxication at the scene and had no criminal history and a clean driving record, the lawsuit said. May repeatedly told officers he had consumed no alcohol or used drugs that night. He also completed road-side sobriety tests, blowing a 0.0 on a portable breathalyzer test and performing roadside maneuvers with reportedly no sign of impairment. The officers searched May’s car and found no drugs, paraphernalia or alcohol within the vehicle.

“From the outset, every objective indicator confirmed Mr. May’s sobriety,” the lawsuit reads. “He was calm, polite and fully coherent. His balance was normal. His driving was normal. His speech was normal. He carried on an easy, friendly conversation with one of the cover officers about the movie he had just seen and the route he had taken home.”

Despite no immediate evidence of intoxication, May was arrested by the officers and taken to UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital for a voluntary blood draw before being transported to Larimer County Jail, where he spent around eight hours in custody, according to the lawsuit.

The blood test results later confirmed that there were no alcohol or drugs in May’s system that night, leading to May’s charges being dropped and the case being dismissed Oct. 29, 2025. Prosecutors reportedly said there was “no reasonable likelihood of success at trial,” the lawsuit states.

“It was a very terrifying situation to be in,” May said. “I wanted my story to be known by others because if this can happen to me as a CSU student, it can happen to anybody else. It just kind of shows that regardless of how good standing you are as a citizen, it just doesn’t really matter because at any time you could be falsely arrested for something you didn’t do.”

In the months that followed after the arrest, May was placed on pretrial supervision and subjected to repeated drug tests — all of which came back with no indicator of drugs or alcohol. FCPS reported May’s DUI charge to CSU, which placed May under a “lengthy student-conduct investigation,” according to the lawsuit. Investigations such as these are carried out by CSU’s Student Conduct Services, and can lead to probation, loss of good standing, suspension and expulsion depending on the incident.

Student-conduct processes are intended to be “a learning experience which can yield growth, behavioral changes and personal understanding of one’s responsibilities and the consequences and impacts of one’s actions,” according to SCS’ website. “This process balances the needs and rights of students with the needs and expectations of the University and larger community.”

May said going through the student-conduct process and his ongoing DUI case negatively impacted his academic performance that semester.

“I had a really strong GPA,” May said. “I was in really good standing with the school, and then now it’s like that was, like, my worst semester so far because I was constantly having to leave class (and) leave campus all the time to go take these drug tests.”

Beyond academics, May said his life has been severely impacted. May was required to pay all pretrial supervision and testing fees out of pocket, creating a significant financial burden. According to May’s lawyers, as a result of his pretrial supervision, he was forced to cancel a long-planned trip to Costa Rica, and in the aftermath of his arrest, May was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and has been undergoing therapy.

“Mr. May — a young man who has never used illegal drugs and does not consume alcohol — was forced to endure months of being treated as a criminal, subjected to invasive testing, reported to his university, investigated by student-conduct authorities and made to live under the constant shadow of criminal prosecution and potential academic expulsion, all because two Fort Collins police officers arrested him without probable cause based on fabricated and incompetent investigation,” the lawsuit reads.

The lawsuit names the City of Fort Collins and the two arresting officers, Cacciatore and Hooley, as defendants. The Collegian reached out to the City of Fort Collins for comment to which a spokesperson, Amanda King, replied with a written statement declining to comment on the allegations, citing the pending litigation.

“We are aware of the filing, and as it is now before the court, we are unable to provide specific case details or comment,” the statement reads.

FCPS has not responded to requests for comment at the time of publishing.

According to a LinkedIn post made by Haltzman, this is the sixth wrongful DUI lawsuit brought against FCPS in the last three years. According to reporting by the Coloradoan, The city has paid $650,000 to settle two previous wrongful DUI lawsuits. An additional lawsuit was dropped, but two more lawsuits are still pending as of July.

May’s lawsuit also cites former FCPS officer Jason Haferman, who the lawsuit claims “engaged in a documented pattern of stopping and arresting drivers for DUI without reasonable suspicion or probable cause.”

“It’s a huge issue in Larimer County specifically,” Haltzman said. “I think it comes back to a lack of training (and) lack of oversight by the command of the Fort Collins Police (Services). These are good questions that need to be answered, ultimately, by the Chief of Police and the people who were supervising that night.”

May said his experience convinced him that the problem extends beyond his individual case and that he hopes sharing his story will help drive systemic change within FCPS.

“I would love to see some change within the department; … I think the issue is systemic,” May said. “There needs to be some sort of really big change because it’s very concerning now that we’ve seen multiple people getting falsely arrested for DUIs. It’s a recurring issue, and it kind of puts into question some of the practices that the Fort Collins Police (Services) takes when doing these DUI investigations.”

May’s lawsuit against the City of Fort Collins and the two arresting officers is pending litigation. No official court date has been set; however, the scheduling conference is set for Sept. 17 at 11:15 a.m.

See the article here: https://collegian.com/articles/featured/2026/08/category-news-csu-student-sues-police-city-of-fort-collins-over-alleged-wrongful-dui-arrest-raises-questions-around-broader-policing-concerns/

Fort Collins, Colorado – A Colorado State University student is suing Fort Collins police officers who he says wrongfully arrested him for driving under the influence in July 2025.

Nathan May, now 21, was arrested July 16, 2025. A news release from attorney Sarah Schielke, who is representing May alongside attorney Matthew Haltzman, claims Fort Collins Police Services officers Trevor Cacciatore and Vince Hooley accused May of being impaired because he was "briefly driving without his headlight on" while leaving a movie. 

The criminal charges against May were dismissed in October 2025 after May's blood test came back with a “none detected” result for alcohol and drugs. In dismissing the case, prosecutors reportedly said there was "no reasonable likelihood of success at trial," the lawsuit claims.

May volunteered to do roadside sobriety tests and blew 0.0 on the breath test, according to the news release. The lawsuit claims "every objective indicator confirmed Mr. May’s sobriety. He was calm, polite, and fully coherent. His balance was normal. His driving was normal. His speech was normal. He carried on an easy, friendly conversation with one of the cover officers about the movie he had just seen and the route he had taken home."

The officers also reportedly searched May's car and found no evidence May was impaired, the lawsuit claims.

In the months between May's arrest and the case being dismissed, police reported the allegation to Colorado State University, "and as a result he was placed under a lengthy student-conduct investigation that threatened his academic future," according to the lawsuit. The criminal case also forced May to miss a family trip to Costa Rica, required him to complete months of pretrial urine testing, and caused him to develop post-traumatic stress disorder, the lawsuit claims.

The lawsuit also names the city of Fort Collins as a defendant, claiming the officers were not trained or supervised properly. The lawsuit cites Fort Collins Police Service's past issues with allegations of wrongful DUI arrests by former officer Jason Haferman. The city has paid out a total of $650,000 to settle two separate lawsuits claiming the drivers were falsely arrested for DUI by Haferman. One of those lawsuits has been dismissed and two others are pending as of July 23, 2026.

"Rather than fix the problem through training, supervision, and discipline, the City has defended and even endorsed the practice," the lawsuit claims. "Its officers’ wrongful arrest of Mr. May — featuring the very same hallmarks — was the predictable result."

City of Fort Collins spokesperson Amanda King declined to comment on the lawsuit citing pending litigation. Fort Collins Police Services has not responded to a request for comment as of the morning of July 24.

See the article here: https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/local/fort-collins/2026/07/24/csu-student-sues-police-for-wrongful-dui-arrest/91029519007

Fort Collins, Colorado – A Colorado State student is suing Fort Collins Police, alleging that he was wrongly arrested for drunk driving in July 2025.

The 20-year-old said he blew a zero on the breathalyzer test, but that officers still arrested him. Nathan May will be a senior at Colorado State this year, looking for a future in finance; however, May told FOX31 that last summer’s arrest made him want to create change in his hometown.

The suit stems from July 2025, when May said he was headed home from the movies when he saw flashing lights in his rearview mirror.

“I didn’t really know what was going on or why I was being pulled over,” May said.

The lawsuit alleges that officers “pulled Mr. May over because his headlights had briefly not been activated.” Shortly after asking May for his license, officers asked him to step out of the car.

May told FOX31 that his thought process was to prove that he was innocent in any way he could. Body camera footage provided by May’s lawyer showed that he blew zeroes on his breathalyzer.

“After I blew triple zeros, I thought, you know, ‘we’ll just go our separate ways,’ and that will be that,” May said.

The body camera video showed the officers conducting field sobriety tests that the lawsuit alleges were “incorrectly administered.” According to CDOT, it is up to officers to determine whether an arrest is warranted based on the test results.

The body camera video showed an officer handcuffing May and putting him in the back of a squad car as another officer searched his car. According to the lawsuit, nothing was found in the car.

The lawsuit alleges that May’s blood tests showed no alcohol or drugs were in system. May told FOX31 that he hopes his case helps bring change.

“I want to advocate for real change. That’s the message I want to get across. I want things to be different in Fort Collins,” May said.

FOX 31 reached out to the Fort Collins Police Department about the case, which they said they were aware that the lawsuit has been filed, but they will not comment on pending litigation.

See the article here: https://kdvr.com/news/local/fort-collins-man-suing-police-over-alleged-wrongful-dui-arrest/

FORT COLLINS, CO. — A 20-year-old Colorado State University (CSU) student has filed a lawsuit against the City of Fort Collins and two police officers for wrongful arrest on claims of driving under the influence (DUI).

Nathan May, 20, was driving back from a late night showing of "Superman" early in the morning on July 16, 2025 when he was pulled over near S. College Avenue and Boardwalk Drive by two Fort Collins Police Services (FCPS) officers for briefly driving without his headlights on, according to a news release from May's lawyers. After less than a minute, one of the officers claims to have concluded May "appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol," the lawsuit reads.

When the two officers — identified in the lawsuit as Trevor Cacciatore and Vince Hooley — asked May to explain his driving, he said any issues they claimed to have observed could be because he was tired as it was past 2 a.m. when they stopped him. According to the lawsuit, May does not drink or use drugs, has a clean driving record and no criminal history.

In an interview with Denver7, May said there was a 30-second span when he did not have his lights on. When he was pulled over, the office told him to step out of the car.

"I basically started getting bombarded out of nowhere about how I'm on alcohol and how, you know, my driving indicated that I was under the influence and I just knew… Something's wrong here," he said.

May offered to do roadside sobriety tests to prove his innocence, the lawsuit reads. The officers asked May to take a portable breath test, which came back with triple zeros, the lawsuit says.

The officers searched May's car, finding only a water bottle full of water, the lawsuit reads, but still proceeded to arrest him on a DUI charge.

"The whole time I was in handcuffs, I thought, 'How could an innocent person possibly be arrested?' So, I was very terrified. I was very distraught. I was humiliated, really, and it was really disheartening to kind of see that, you know, an innocent person could be in handcuffs," May told Denver7.

The officers told May he would have his license revoked if he refused a blood draw, so he went with them to Poudre Valley Hospital to comply before they transported him to Larimer County Jail, the suit continues. The lawsuit says May spent eight hours there before he was able to post bond or contact his mother.

The lawsuit also reads that Officer Cacciatore "falsely characterized Mr. May’s speech in his report as 'slow' and 'slurred' speech. This claim is observably false and belied by the (officers' body-worn camera) video. Mr. May had normal speech throughout the encounter."

May's blood results came back months later, his lawyers said, showing no evidence of drugs or alcohol.

According to the lawsuit, Officer Cacciatore told his supervisor that based on his observations during the arrest, a “more in-depth drug screening was necessary,” and he requested that additional testing.

The Eighth Judicial District Attorney's Office moved to dismiss all charges against May on Oct. 16, 2025. However, the lawsuit states May "continues to suffer extensive damages across every dimension of his life." He continues to incur expenses related to his arrest, including attorney fees, as well as medical and therapy costs.

As part of his arrest, he was reported to CSU, which began a student-conduct investigation, threatening suspension or expulsion. He was also subjected to pretrial supervision in which he had to give regular urine samples for drug testing that he was required to pay for out of pocket — all of which came back clean for no sign of drugs or alcohol, according to the lawsuit.

"Mr. May – a young man who has never used illegal drugs and does not consume alcohol – was forced to endure months of being treated as a criminal, subjected to invasive testing, reported to his university, investigated by student-conduct authorities, and made to live under the constant shadow of criminal prosecution and potential academic expulsion, all because two Fort Collins police officers arrested him without probable cause based on a fabricated and incompetent investigation," the lawsuit reads.

This is the sixth wrongful DUI lawsuit brought against FCPS in three years, according to May's lawyers. Within the last week, the lawsuit states the City of Fort Collins paid out a $500,000 settlement in another wrongful DUI arrest lawsuit filed in 2023. Another settlement was made for $150,000 in a different 2023 wrongful DUI arrest lawsuit.

May's lawyers allege in the lawsuit that the City of Fort Collins's "deliberate failure to train, supervise, and discipline its officers with respect to DUI investigations and probable cause – a failure of which the City had abundant notice well before July 16, 2025" has contributed to the longstanding pattern of FCPS making wrongful DUI arrests.

The lawsuit points to institutional incentives for many Colorado law enforcement agencies to make more DUI arrests, including state and federal grant funding, as well as favorable publicity.

"There's no accountability from this department. There's not an admission of wrongdoing. There's not any kind of changes made with leadership or with policy or with training," May's lawyer Sarah Schielke told Denver7. "I continue to be shocked. I think 'Anyone else furious that they are continuing to arrest innocent people and the officers that are doing aren't facing any consequences for it?'"

She called this "more than a concerning trend."

Denver7 reached out to FCPS for a response to the lawsuit. They responded: "Thank you for reaching out. We are aware of the filing and as it is now before the court, we are unable to discuss the case at this time."

See the article here: https://www.denver7.com/news/front-range/fort-collins/lawsuit-csu-student-wrongly-arrested-for-dui-part-of-growing-trend-within-fort-collins-police-services

FORT COLLINS, Colo. Haltzman Law Firm extended its congratulations to Phil Weiser on winning the Democratic primary for Governor of Colorado.

Weiser, the current Colorado Attorney General, has served in that office for nearly eight years. With the nomination secured, he now heads into the November general election to succeed term-limited Governor Jared Polis.

Founding attorney Matt Haltzman offered his personal congratulations, reflecting on a relationship that reaches back more than six years.

“I have known Phil for over six years now, going all the way back to the day he came to speak to the Larimer County Bar just as we were settling into our Maple Street office,” said Haltzman. “It has been a real pleasure to watch his path unfold in the time since, and this victory speaks to his dedication, his judgment, and his character.”

That early presentation marked the beginning of a lasting connection to the local legal community, one that has carried through every step since. The firm noted that Weiser’s steady engagement over the years has left a strong impression on those who have come to know him well.

Haltzman Law Firm congratulates Phil Weiser on this achievement and wishes him every success in the campaign ahead.

FORT COLLINS, CO. — Fort Collins will pay $397,000 to settle an excessive force lawsuit filed by a man who police held down and sprayed in the face with pepper spray during a confrontation in Old Town in 2021, causing permanent vision damage.

Andru Kulas sued the city of Fort Collins and two Fort Collins Police Services officers, Kevin Park and Avery Hanzlicek, after the Aug. 28, 2021, incident caused lasting injury and psychological trauma, his attorneys Matthew Haltzman with Haltzman Law Firm and Sarah Schielke with the Loveland firm said in a news release.

See the article here: https://www.denverpost.com/2026/06/18/fort-collins-police-adru-kulas-settlement/

FORT COLLINS, CO. — The city of Fort Collins has agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by a man who claimed his vision was permanently damaged after he was pepper sprayed in the face at close range by officers in 2021 after refusing to accept a trespassing ticket.

In 2023, attorneys Matthew Haltzman and Sarah Schielke filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of Andru Kulas related to the incident that occurred in the early morning hours of Aug. 29, 2021. The lawsuit names the City of Fort Collins as well as two individual officers, Kevin Park and Avery Hanzlicek.

On Wednesday, she announced that the city agreed to pay $397,000 to settle the suit. 9NEWS has reached out to the City of Fort Collins and its police department for comment about the settlement but has not yet heard back.

According to the lawsuit, Kulas had suddenly lost his father and was out drinking with friends on the evening of Aug. 28, 2021. Just before 2 a.m. on Aug. 29, 2021, officers with Fort Collins Police Services contacted Kulas near the intersection of College and Mountain avenues in Old Town Fort Collins in response to a call related to trespassing. He and another man were accused of going onto the rooftop of Brothers Bar and Grill where "no trespassing" signs were posted, the lawsuit says. Neither was still on the roof when police arrived.

Schielke also released body worn camera footage of Kulas' arrest. It shows Kulas approaching officers who are writing him a ticket and making multiple derogatory comments to them.

Kulas refused to take a ticket for trespassing and was then tackled and had pepper spray deployed into his eyes at close range, the lawsuit says. The camera footage provided by Schielke shows an officer, identified as Park in the lawsuit, attempting to place the ticket in a front pocket of Kulas' jacket just before the two get into a physical altercation and Kulas is taken to the ground.

While he's on the ground, the footage shows that pepper spray is used close to Kulas' face. According to his attorney, Kulas was also charged with obstructing a peace officer and resisting arrest. Court records show those charges and the initial trespassing charge were all dismissed.

As a result of the pepper spraying, Kulas developed a permanent haze in his vision, the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit alleges that Park "unlawfully" arrested Kulas and used "excessive force" while doing so. An internal affairs investigation found that Park did not violate any policies.

He later resigned and state records show he remains certified but is not employed at any agency in Colorado. Hanzlicek remains employed with Fort Collins Police.

In response to the lawsuit in 2023, Fort Collins Police Services released the following statement:

Upon receiving an allegation of excessive use of force related to this case, an investigation was conducted by Fort Collins Police Internal Affairs. The case involved the use of pepper spray by an officer while trying to control the defendant’s physically resistive actions when he was being charged for a criminal violation in the downtown area.

The case was thoroughly investigated at the time of the incident. As an additional layer of examination, Chief Swoboda requested an independent review be conducted. All facts of the case were presented to the Citizens Review Board (CRB).

The Citizens Review Board is a committee comprised of various community members, appointed by the city council, who render findings and make recommendations concerning officers’ actions related to police policies and procedures. After review, the CRB subcommittee unanimously agreed that the officer should be exonerated of allegations of unnecessary force. The City of Fort Collins and Fort Collins Police Services will contest the lawsuit’s allegations.

See the article here: https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/fort-collins-pepper-spray-lawsuit-settlement/73-7a7542ef-167e-431c-9f51-83fcb6b19dad

Fort Collins, Colorado— Haltzman Law Firm, P.C. is proud to announce that the case of Gonzales, et al. v. Econo Lodge at Longmont, et al. has been selected as one of three finalists for the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association (CTLA) Case of the Year Award. Lead Counsel Matthew Haltzman and Co-Counsel Mark Haltzman  represented the plaintiffs in this landmark matter.

Being nominated for the Case of the Year Award is an extraordinary distinction — being selected as a finalist is an even greater one. The firm is deeply humbled by this recognition and the confidence the CTLA has placed in the work performed on behalf of our clients.

The CTLA Case of the Year Award acknowledges the positive impact that a single case can have on correcting injustices, advancing fairness under the law, changing attitudes, and providing economic incentives to protect public safety. It is among the most prestigious honors the Colorado legal community bestows upon trial lawyers.

Haltzman Law Firm also makes history as First-Ever Finalist from the City in the Award’s 30-Year History. In the award’s 30-year history, no law firm from Fort Collins has ever been selected as a finalist. Haltzman Law Firm, P.C. is honored to break that barrier and to represent the Fort Collins legal community on this distinguished stage. Thank you, to everyone who put our case out there and brought it to the state level.

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Haltzman Law Firm, P.C.
Fort Collins, Colorado
www.haltzmanlaw.com