Victor Moses always knew he wanted to be a police officer, stemming from childhood experiences of admiration for a neighbor’s friend who worked for the Tallahassee Police Department. However, Moses’ dream was shattered during a training exercise as a recruit for the Denver Police Department. The exercise, called “Fight Day,” involved brutal hazing which ultimately led to Moses losing both his legs. Despite informing the department of his sickle cell trait, paramedics cleared him to continue training even after experiencing severe physical distress. Moses required multiple surgeries to save his life, had his legs amputated, and spent four months in the hospital. The lawsuit he filed accuses the department and paramedics of negligence, lying to doctors, and covering up their actions. Moses, while still recovering, expressed his willingness to support the police and possibly return to the profession, either as an officer or as an advocate for better treatment of police recruits. He acknowledges the presence of good police officers and hopes his story sheds light on the need for change in police training practices to prevent future harm to recruits. Despite undergoing multiple surgeries and a long recovery process, Moses remains hopeful but realistic about his future, acknowledging that he will never fully recover from the traumas he experienced during the training drill.
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Recollection of ‘brutal hazing ritual’ by Denver police recruit who lost his legs
