Dispute over medical care at Children’s Hospital leads to father being tased at Walmart
A dispute over medical care at Children’s Hospital Colorado led to a father being arrested and tased by police in a Walmart parking lot, prompting the man to file a lawsuit.
According to 9news in Denver, Ladarius Butler took his son to the facility in May 2024, where there was an argument over the medical advice he received. His son, a 3-year-old, was deemed to be gravely ill, prompting staff to call police when Butler opted to take the child out of the facility and leave.
The incident was reported to Aurora Colorado Police as a kidnapping. Using cellphone data, police reportedly tracked Butler to a Walmart parking lot. Bodycam footage shows officers pinning him in his car, approaching the vehicle with guns drawn.
Butler is quickly subdued and tased—it’s not clear if his son was with him at the time. He was charged with obstruction and resisting arrest. However, all charges were later dropped.
Notably, he was never charged with child abuse nor neglect stemming from the incident. The toddler, who was initially taken to the hospital due to trouble breathing, has since recovered.
According to 9news, only 32 seconds passed between the time police arrived at the Walmart and Butler being tased. Video does not appear to show him resisting when an officer gives the order to deploy the weapon.
As Butler lies on the ground, an officer explains the kidnapping allegations. Butler then denies his son was ever in danger. The City of Aurora declined to prosecute the case and filed to have the charges against him dismissed.
Butler filed a lawsuit against the city in May 2025. He and his attorney said the police—who had the man’s cellphone number and location information—never contacted the father after he left Children’s Hospital.
The City of Aurora is being sued for excessive force and violating Butler’s civil rights. The government said it intends to fight the allegations.
The hospital is not named in the lawsuit and declined a request for comment, 9news said.
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Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.