Cops Miss Actual Bank Robber, Tackle Innocent Kid Instead (then LIE about it)

Name: Cops Miss Actual Bank Robber, Tackle Innocent Kid Instead (then LIE about it)
Uploaded: 2026-08-26T12:12:39-07:00
Duration: 59 min 4 s
Channel: The Civil Rights Lawyer
Description: This video details the wrongful arrest and excessive force used by Boulder Police Department officers against 17-year-old Galileo (Lao) Wise, who was…

The Civil Rights Lawyer

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About this episode This video details the wrongful arrest and excessive force used by Boulder Police Department officers against … AI summary

This video details the wrongful arrest and excessive force used by Boulder Police Department officers against 17-year-old Galileo (Lao) Wise, who was tackled and handcuffed based on a mistaken identity during a bank robbery investigation. Despite realizing within minutes that Lao did not match the suspect description or location indicated by the money tracker, officers fabricated a matching description and lied to both Lao and his parents to justify the detention. A lawsuit has been filed in Colorado state court, where qualified immunity has been abolished, alleging wrongful arrest and excessive force.

Key takeaways 5

The actual bank robber was stationary at a Starbucks for over two minutes (tracked via device in stolen cash), while Lao was moving on a bicycle through an underpass, making the identification error objectively unreasonable.
Lao’s clothing (teal pants, gray sweatshirt) and lack of glasses/tan skin completely contradicted the police radio description (lime green shirt, clear glasses, tan skin), yet officers proceeded with a violent tackle.
After realizing the mistake, Sergeant Steven Faber instructed Officer Austin Meyers to maintain the lie ('I wouldn't change it for anything'), demonstrating a systemic issue where officers cover up errors rather than admitting fault.
Colorado state law abolished qualified immunity for state constitutional claims, allowing the family to file a civil rights lawsuit in state court for faster resolution (1-1.5 years) compared to federal court (3-4 years).
The internal investigation cleared Officer Meyers of wrongdoing despite the lie, while only finding that Sergeant Faber violated policy by prolonging the detention after knowing Lao was innocent.

Notable quotes 4 AI-generated: wording and quote attribution may be wrong. Use the play link to verify.

“That's not him. 12:49 at 13th Street. Copy. If we could have officers in the area, continue to look.”

▶ 0:42 Sergeant Faber acknowledging Lao is not the suspect while still allowing the illegal detention to continue.
“I wouldn't change it for anything. I appreciate that. And you know me, I'm a straight shooter. I say it like this. Yes, sir. We had a bank robbery. Match the description, did what you did.”

▶ 39:52 Sergeant Faber encouraging Officer Meyers to stick to the fabricated story and not admit fault.
“It's not really the fact that they made the initial mistake... It's always what they do after they realize they made the mistake... without fail, every time they realize the mistake, they basically double down or they try to cover it up.”

▶ 54:52 Host Galileo Wise analyzing the pattern of police misconduct in mistaken identity cases.
“The description was uh tan clothes and green clothes. He's wearing green pants and like a tannanish brown hoodie. Um and the tracker was tracking to his exact location on the hill. So that gives gave us reasonable suspicion that that was the suspect.”

▶ 32:08 Officer Meyers lying to Lao's mother about the suspect's appearance and location to justify the arrest.