UPDATE: The Greeley City Council is poised to vote tonight on a significant $295,000 settlement for a resident who was wrongfully jailed due to false accusations made by a police officer. This urgent decision comes after Teneah Perez endured five days of incarceration stemming from a 2023 traffic incident.
The council meeting is set for Tuesday night, where officials will decide on the settlement that addresses Perez’s claims of lost wages, confinement, and emotional distress. In May, Perez filed a complaint against Officer Donovan Serafino and the city, represented by attorney Richard Wiener, highlighting severe violations in the investigation that led to her wrongful arrest.
On May 29, 2023, Perez was a passenger in a vehicle involved in a crash at 12th Avenue and 8th Street in Greeley. Her husband, the driver, fled the scene with their three children, leaving Perez and her two children behind. Despite her 6-year-old son’s insistence that his mother was not driving, Serafino falsely reported to dispatch that the child claimed Perez was behind the wheel.
The gravity of the situation escalated as Perez faced multiple charges, including three counts of DUI and child abuse. However, footage from Serafino’s body camera later revealed that the child never implicated Perez. An email received the day after the incident, stating that Perez was not driving, was disregarded by Serafino and concealed for 15 months.
When the email finally surfaced, the charges against Perez were dismissed. An internal investigation by the Greeley Police Department confirmed that Serafino violated numerous policies, including the failure to document evidence. He has since been terminated from his position.
City officials have indicated that the settlement, if approved, will resolve all claims from Perez against both the city and Serafino. The funds will be drawn from the city’s claims reserve fund, a decision recommended by outside legal counsel retained to represent Serafino.
This case has raised significant concerns about police accountability and the treatment of citizens in Greeley. As the council prepares for its vote, the community watches closely, aware of the implications this settlement holds for both the victim and the police department’s future practices.
Stay tuned for updates as the council convenes tonight to make this critical decision that could change the landscape of accountability in Greeley law enforcement.
