Aurora officer fired for failing to intervene or report alleged excessive force.

An Aurora police officer has been fired for failing to intervene when a fellow officer allegedly beat an unarmed man with his duty pistol, choking the victim and threatening to kill him.

Francine Martinez was fired on Thursday after an internal investigation into the July 23 incident.

Former officer John Haubert faces three felony charges — attempted first-degree assault,
second-degree assault and felony menacing — as well as misdemeanor charges of official oppression and official misconduct in connection to a violent arrest. Haubert resigned from the department on July 29.

The department announced on Thursday that Aurora Police Chief Vanessa Wilson fired Martinez because the officer violated three department directives: Duty to Intervene and Report Intervention, Unsatisfactory Performance, and Conformance to Law.

“This termination officially ends her employment as a police officer with the Aurora Police Department and City of Aurora,” the department said in a news release. “At this time, no additional information or documentation will be provided due to the ongoing criminal proceedings involving Mr. Haubert and Ms. Martinez by the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.”

Martinez, who served with the department for six years, faces misdemeanor criminal charges for not intervening in Haubert’s use of force. She was on paid leave while the internal investigation was underway.

The victim, Kyle Vinson, a homeless Army veteran, said he tried to comply with the officers’ orders as best he could.

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