About Mr. Stinnett:
Raverro Stinnett was a vibrant, happy, and outgoing artist with immense talent and potential. He had gained recognition for his diverse body of work, including photography, painting, and sculpture, and had nearly finished his degree in 3-D animation at the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design (RMCAD), where he had earned a full scholarship based on the strength of his artistic portfolio. By all accounts, Mr. Stinnett was on the cusp of taking the next big step on his way to becoming a breakthrough artist. His talents, future, health, and well-being were forever adversely altered when Mr. Stinnett went to Union Station on April 20, 2018.
Early in the morning of April 20, 2018, Raverro Stinnett was on his way home from a gala at the RedLine Contemporary Art Center waiting for his train at Union Station. Although the station was bustling with dozens of other patrons, four RTD Transit Security Officers (TSOs) singled out and targeted Mr. Stinnett—a black man—for confrontation. As his colleagues and supervisor looked on, one of the officers, Officer Hunter, threatened and challenged Mr. Stinnett to fight, led him to a restroom, and viciously assaulted him. Mr. Stinnett was knocked unconscious and suffered significant, permanent traumatic brain injuries, as well as injuries to his face and jaw. When the TSOs finally roused Mr. Stinnett, he was bleeding from a wound on his head, and had no memory of where he was or what had just happened. None of the TSOs called Mr. Stinnett an ambulance, and instead left him to find his way home injured and by himself.
Similarly, the TSOs did not report the incident, or even mention Mr. Stinnett’s injuries in their log sheets. When prompted, they gave nearly identical witness statements stating they recalled nothing unusual about that night. In addition, RTD charged Mr. Stinnett over $3.2 million for the retrieval of public records he requested relating to his assault. Under state law, RTD’s emails and other documents are public records that must be disclosed pursuant to the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA). Mr. Stinnett has already lost his livelihood, cognitive brain functioning, and the ability to follow his passions; RTD’s egregious failure to disclose public records to Mr. Stinnett adds insult to injury, and is a continuation of the abuse he has suffered at the hands of RTD.