2023 Colorado Revised Statutes › Title 29 - GOVERNMENT - LOCAL (§§ 29-1-101 — 29-37-210) › MISCELLANEOUS (§§ 29-5-101 — 29-11.9-104) › Article 5 - PEACE OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHTERS (§§ 29-5-101 — 29-5-605) › Part 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS (§§ 29-5-101 — 29-5-114) › Section 29-5-111 - Liability of peace officers

(1)
Notwithstanding the doctrines of sovereign immunity and respondeat superior, a city, town, county, or city and county or other political subdivision of the state or a state institution of higher education employing peace officers in accordance with article
7.5
of title
24
, C.R.S., shall indemnify its paid peace officers and reserve officers, as defined in section
16-2.5-110
, C.R.S., while the peace officers and reserve officers are on duty for any liability incurred by them and for any judgment, except a judgment for exemplary damages, entered against them for torts committed within the scope of their employment if the person claiming damages serves the political subdivision or state institution of higher education with a copy of the summons within ten days from the date when a copy of the summons is served on the peace officer or reserve officer. In no event shall any political subdivision or state institution of higher education be required so to indemnify its peace officers in excess of one hundred thousand dollars for one person in any single occurrence or three hundred thousand dollars for two or more persons for any single occurrence; except that in such instance no indemnity shall be allowed for any person in excess of one hundred thousand dollars. It is the duty of the city, town, county, city and county, or other political subdivision and of the state institution of higher education to provide the defense handled by the legal staff of the public entity or by other counsel, in the discretion of the public entity, for the peace officer in the claim or civil action. However, in the event that the court determines that a reserve officer, as defined in section
16-2.5-110
, C.R.S., incurred the liability while acting outside the scope of his or her assigned duties or that the reserve officer acted in a willful and wanton manner in incurring the liability, the court shall order the reserve officer to reimburse the political subdivision or the state institution of higher education for reasonable costs and reasonable attorney fees expended for the defense of the reserve officer. With the approval of the governing body of the city, town, county, city and county, or other political subdivision or of the state institution of higher education, the claim or civil action may be settled or compromised. A city, town, county, city and county, or other political subdivision or a state institution of higher education may carry liability insurance to insure itself and its peace officers. If the political subdivision or state institution of higher education purchases insurance that provides substantial coverage for the peace officers with a policy limitation of at least one hundred thousand dollars for one person in any single occurrence and three hundred thousand dollars for two or more persons for any single occurrence, except that in such instance no indemnity shall be allowed for any person in excess of one hundred thousand dollars, then the political subdivision or state institution of higher education shall be liable under this section to indemnify the peace officers only to the extent of the limits and for such torts as are covered by the policy and only to the extent of the coverage of the policy. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to condone the conduct of any peace officer who uses excessive force or who violates the statutory or constitutional rights of any person.
(2)
This section shall apply only with respect to causes of action accruing on or after July 1, 1972.
L. 71: pp. 1048, 1049, §§ 1, 2. C.R.S. 1963: § 99-2-12. L. 72: p. 612, § 135. L. 88: (1) amended, p. 723, § 5, effective July 1. L. 2003: (1) amended, p. 1618, § 26, effective August 6. L. 2008: (1) amended, p. 92, § 18, effective March 18. L. 2009: (1) amended, (SB 09-097), ch. 110, p. 459, §11, effective August 5.