Mexican musician awarded $200,000 over Aurora police raid and dog bite

Salvador Alonso Guerrero Salmeron, a Mexican travelling musician, has been awarded $200,000 after Aurora police officers raided the Colorado home where he was staying in 2023 and a police dog bit him. A jury also found one officer liable for malicious prosecution and another for excessive force, bringing a civil rights case over the raid to a verdict.

Officers were executing an arrest warrant for another man when they entered the home in March 2023. Salmeron, who does not speak English, was trying to show them his tourist visa, while his lawyer said officers shouted nonsensical Spanish orders; court photos showed a dog biting his arm. The case has renewed attention on the department’s record, including the 2019 death of Elijah McClain after an encounter with Aurora officers and paramedics.