PUEBLO, Colo — Pueblo Police have submitted a case to the 10th Judicial District Attorney, recommending assault charges against two men accused of beating a homeless man during a citizen’s arrest after video of the September beating went viral last month.
Doug Cullison is seen on surveillance video holding down Alex Montoya, while his son, Nate Cullison, runs and kicks Montoya in the head and beats him like a punching bag. The father and son then held down Montoya until police arrived on scene.
Pueblo Police reopened the investigation into the beating last month, after surveillance video of the encounter went viral. The police department also opened an internal affairs investigation into how officers handled the case that day, after it was revealed the business owner sent the surveillance video to police days after the attack, but it was never followed up on.
Doug and Nate Cullison were looking for Montoya after he allegedly punched Doug’s wife and Nate’s mother, a teacher at a nearby elementary school. A police report from that incident said Montoya was sitting in a vestibule charging his phone and smoking when Cullison’s wife and other school staff tried to shoo him off the property. The report said Montoya punched Cullison’s wife in the jaw.
In the video, Cullison stopped Montoya on the sidewalk in front of an ice cream shop, tackling him and holding him on the ground. A man who appeared to be walking by leaned in and punched Montoya several times in the head.
In April, Pueblo Police asked the public to identify that man. A spokesman indicated the man hadn’t been identified as of Tuesday.
As the video continued, Nate Cullison, an MMA fighter, drove up to the scene, ran through the parking lot and kicked Montoya in the head. He then started beating him. Nate and Doug Cullison then continued to hold the man to the ground until Pueblo police officers arrived. At one point while they were waiting for officers, Nate Cullison appeared to take a selfie with Montoya, who was beaten and bloodied on the ground.
In body camera footage released by Montoya’s attorney, the responding Pueblo Police officer placed Montoya in handcuffs and noticed he was bloody. When the officer asked Montoya what happened, he told him he’d been punched.
> Watch the body camera footage
Cullison, who works as a volunteer for the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office, told the officer on scene that he works part-time for the Sheriff’s Office. He explained how he sought out Montoya.
The officer asked Cullison why Montoya was so bloody.
“He started to turn over he started to get up and I didn’t see [Nate] pull up, but he pulled up and obviously helped,” Cullison told the officer in the video, indicating that the pair had only held Montoya on the ground.
Montoya was ticketed for battery and released to paramedics, who took him to the hospital. Neither Doug nor Nate Cullison was ticketed or charged at the time.
Montoya’s attorney also released recordings of 911 calls that day, where callers said Montoya was being beaten.
“I need someone here as soon as possible please. He’s getting beat like very hard,” one caller said.
“There’s a man pinning him down and two people beating the crap out of him pretty much… pretty ferociously,” another caller reported.
Five days after the incident, the business owner with the surveillance video sent it to a Pueblo police officer. Pueblo Police claim the officer couldn’t get the video to work due to technical difficulties and never followed up.
This week, Pueblo Police referred the case to the DA’s office, recommending third-degree assault charges. The police department is also recommending charging Montoya with third-degree assault for allegedly punching Cullison’s wife.
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