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Attorney releases police body cam footage of Fort Collins woman forced to the ground

Surat is charged with resisting arrest and the first trial in January was declared a mistrial. The re-trial has been delayed to August.
Still courtesy Sarat's attorney's video

FORT COLLINS - The police body camera video released by Michaella Surat's attorney begins with Fort Collins police officers responding to a disturbance call at a bar in Old Town Square.

Compared to the nine-second viral video, this one is almost seven minutes, and it's the first time we hear the interaction between Surat and the officer. Surat can be seen pushing past someone to leave the patio area of the bar, and as she's about to walk away, she turns around.

"He's not free to go but you can keep walking," Officer Randy Klamser is heard saying to Surat, referencing her then-boyfriend.

"No I'm going to stay here," she said back.

Attorney David Lane said he released the footage to provoke public outrage and try to prove that it shows his client was assaulted by Officer Randy Klamser, who was cleared of wrongdoing.

"When the viral video was released, police defended it by 'you don't see the whole story, just wait till the body cam video gets seen and then you'll know the whole truth,'" said Lane.

But the truth, Lane said, is in Klamser's words and actions.

"I don't want to throw you on the ground," he's heard saying to Surat.

This is just one video from one officer's body camera.The Coloradoan reports others exist but have not been released. Lane said he's not aware of them.

Klamser said Surat tried to choke and slap him. Surat was charged with assault, but those charges were dropped.

Klamser wrote in his police report "due to her lack of cooperation, the female had to be taken to the ground during her arrest."

"She hadn't done anything," Lane said. "So she has a right to try to pull away under Colorado law."

In light of the Lane releasing the footage, Fort Collins Police said, "We have a duty to try to limit pretrial publicity in order to preserve the criminal justice process."

Surat is charged with resisting arrest and the first trial in January was declared a mistrial. The re-trial has been delayed to August.

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