An Ada County judge decided that a man who was beaten so severely by a Meridian police officer that he needed facial reconstruction surgery will spend at least a few years in prison.
Boise resident Colt Seward was arrested in May 2023 after officers found him “passed out behind the wheel” in a traffic lane with his engine running near the intersection of North Ten Mile Road and West Ustick Road in Meridian, police said in a news release at the time.
The Meridian Police Department said Officer Donald Heida used force during the arrest because Seward slipped his handcuffs while in the back of the patrol car. Video of his arrest was widely shared after a bystander captured Heida punching Seward at least half a dozen times in the face and head, some blows landing while Seward was face down in a parking lot, pinned by Heida, who was helped by another officer.
Seward, 32, pleaded guilty through an agreement in August to possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia; unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; driving under the influence; eluding arrest; and possession of a prescription drug without authorization. Court records show that prosecutors dropped a police battery charge.
As a result of the litany of charges, 4th District Judge Patrick Miller sentenced Seward to spend at least three years in prison before he will be eligible for parole. Seward does get credit for time served, which shaves almost a year off that sentence.
Miller said he decided not to watch the video of Seward’s arrest, saying he “abhor(s) violence” and did not want to let the footage sway him in any manner. He stressed that it was not up to him to make a decision on the officer’s use of force.
“I just don’t watch it, candidly,” Miller said. “I think it’s probably pretty violent. I’ve seen the injuries; I’ve seen the description of it. It appeared to be quite flagrant, and the defendant did suffer substantial harm. I don’t know that I need to see it to further those conclusions.”
Violent arrest, drug crimes and prison time
The Meridian Police Department said Seward struck one officer with his elbow while the officer was attempting to reapply handcuffs because Seward had slipped out of them. Body camera footage obtained by the Idaho Statesman showed Seward pulled his left hand away when the officers put his hands behind his back during the recuffing attempt.
Meridian Police Chief Tracy Basterrechea later said that Heida did not violate policy and that “these incidents don’t happen if the suspect cooperates.”
Seward told the Statesman that the officer’s blows left him with a traumatic brain injury, and that he still deals with blurred vision, facial numbness, spasms and memory problems. He underwent reconstructive surgery to place a prosthetic in his face to hold up his right eye, because of a broken bone right beside it, medical records obtained by the Idaho Statesman showed.
His wife, Mersades Seward, said his medical costs totaled more than $100,000.
Seward filed a tort claim against the police department but still has not decided whether to move forward with a lawsuit. He was sentenced last Thursday.
Seward has drug crimes that date to when he was a teenager. The judge acknowledged that Seward’s early experiences with addiction and the criminal justice system made it more challenging for him to establish a stable adulthood. At the same time, Miller said, Seward had been given a number of chances at recovery.
“Something different, maybe more severe, needs to occur to provide an opportunity for rehabilitation,” Miller said.
The judge said that after weighing those factors — as well as the risk Seward posed to public safety when he drove under the influence last year — he decided that a sentence of three years fixed and five years indeterminate to cover all of the crimes was appropriate.
The judge also ordered that his driver’s license be suspended for a year after release.
When asked to speak, Seward gave a tearful statement at the Ada County Courthouse. He talked about his struggles with drugs and wanting to be a better father, saying addiction had “humbled” him to his “core as a human being.”
“Every time I look into that mirror, I am reminded of what took place on May 16, and I thank God that I’m alive and here today,” Seward said.
