Alexander Landau got pulled over for an illegal left turn - and ended up beaten bloody

[JohnyCanuck]

On the night of January 15, 2009, nineteen-year-old Community College of Denver student Alexander Landau was stopped by Denver police for allegedly making an illegal left turn. But according to a federal complaint filed yesterday, within minutes of the stop Landau was being beaten by three Denver cops, two of whom were wielding a radio and a flashlight as bludgeons. When it was all over, he was taken to Denver Health to be treated for a broken nose, lacerations and closed head injuries -- but not before he demanded somebody take photos of him.

The lengthy and detailed complaint is the latest in a string of high-profile cases of alleged police brutality incidents that have captured local headlines and led to the resignation of Denver Manager of Safety Ron Perea. The issue was even discussed during the swearing-in ceremony of interim mayor Bill Vidal earlier today.

​Landau's story may add fuel to the fire -- especially since one of the officers named in his complaint, Randy Murr, also played a role in the controversial police beating of Michael deHerrera. The complaint filed on Landau's behalf notes that in the process of the traffic stop, police found marijuana on Landau's passenger, a fellow student named Addison Hunold, and proceeded to search Landau's car. Apparently the situation spun out of control when the cops asked Landau if they could search his trunk and Landau stepped towards them, asking if they had a warrant. Allegedly the three officers then on the scene - Murr, Ricky Nixon and Tiffany Middleton -- then proceeded to punch him in the face and then, once he fell over, beat him for several minutes, with one officer yelling, "He's going for the gun." According to the complaint, when it was all over, Landau heard one officer say to him, "Where's that warrant now, you fucking nigger?"

http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2011/01/alexander_landau_got_pulled_ov.php

[Tippy]

1. K&R....What is going on ? Are we seeing more of this madness

Or is it just me?

[KansasVoter]

2. The police KNOW 90% of the time they can get away with this!

They FLAT OUT LIE to cover their asses and other officers protect them.

The issue with our society is that too many people 100% believe cops and the prosecution and trust them way too much.

We need to start paying cops more money and hiring high class ones who do not have ego issues.

[DCKit]

3. Serious, in-depth psychological testing, for one.

But if sociopaths and other types of racists are blocked from holding those jobs, where are they going to end up?

[right2bfree]

9. On the wrong sideof thelaw just like these officers. They need to be tried and jailed in GP. nt

[tblue37]

5. Yeah, and they always yell something about the victim "going for the gun," to

justify the assault.

[KansasVoter]

6. True!! Or "he took a swing at me". Unless there are cameras, cops get off!

[right2bfree]

8. Lots of this is cuased by Steroid Rage, which is common among cops. We...

need to test police and other people in authority positions for the same
illegal drugs as tuck drivers, only include illegal steroids as well,
for everyone.

[reggie the dog]

4. the turn was legal

according to posts from people claiming to know him at the link. He got stopped for driving while black. The little bit of weed they found on the passenger is the lowest priority of law enforcement in Denver and according to Denver city ordinace you can have an ounce. SO these cops were busting him on state law when they could have followed municipal law and done nothing. State law means the small bag of weed on the passenger gets a 75 dollar ticket with no court appearance.
I have been beaten by cops until i dropped my keys so they could search, i am white but i have long hair and grew up in illinois

[Mariana]

7. EVERY SINGLE TIME a cop starts beating on someone

for no good reason and there are other cops around, his or her colleagues either jump in and join in the fun, or they stand by and do nothing whatsover to protect the victim. That's the thing that bothers me more than anything else about these brutality cases. I don't know of a single time that one cop has arrested another cop on the spot for breaking the law in this manner.