Unarmed Black College Student Brutally Beaten by Racist Denver officers awarded $795,000

From [HERE] and  [HERE] DENVER - A Black man left bloodied by Denver police officers two years ago after a routine traffic stop was given a $795,000 settlement by the City Council on Monday. It is among the largest payouts in city history to resolve a police-brutality case.

Alexander Landau sued the city in federal court, saying three police officers tried to cover up a Jan. 19, 2009, beating that left Landau scarred and suffering "persisting neurological damage." The officers hit Landau with their fists, flashlights and a radio, and called him nigger, according to the suit. Two of the three officers in the suit were recently fired for lying on reports concerning other violent incidents.

The council unanimously approved the payout. The department's Internal Affairs Bureau originally reviewed the case but refused to begin a formal investigation.The city has reopened an internal-affairs investigation into the case.  Landau's suit includes graphic photos of the bloodied and beaten then-19-year-old college student. [HERE]  

Vidal said "chances were good we would lose this case in court."

The officers named in the suit were Cpl. Randy Murr and Officers Ricky Nixon and Tiffany Middleton. Chief Gerry Whitman was named in his official capacity.

Murr was fired in March for lying on a police report about an incident in Lower Downtown in April 2009 that was caught on videotape, showing officers beating up Michael DeHerrera. Nixon was fired last month for lying in a police report about a violent incident caught on camera outside the Denver Diner in 2009.

Over the past few months that Vidal has been mayor, six officers have been dismissed and "several other officers have been significantly suspended," Vidal said.

He said the incidents of police violence are alarming but should be put in perspective.

"Our police officers contact citizens 500,000 times a year," he said. "There are 1,400 officers. This is a big city, and things happen. Certainly, you are going to have bad behavior by some."

Two of the three officers named in Landau's suit were recently fired for lying on reports concerning other police incidents.

One of them is the officer involved in an incident in lower downtown back in 2009 that was caught on video tape.

"Mayor Vidal is going to meet with Alex and his family to discuss his ordeal," John Holland, Landau's lawyer said in a written statement. "This gracious action, combined with the City's recent firing of two of the most involved officers here will also assist Alex on his road to recovery and hopefully help our city put an end to this troubling time of unchecked police brutality and misconduct. Alex sees that what happened to him does matter and that something important is being learned from his shocking experience."

In a statement from Denver Mayor Guillermo (Bill) Vidal:

"This settlement represents resolution to the civil lawsuit brought against the City of Denver and three current and former police officers by Mr. Alex Landau. It is distressing when incidents like this happen, but it is important to remember that this type of situation describes the exception, rather than the norm, for our police force. Nevertheless, this settlement sends our clear message to Mr. Landau and the community that we take these types of allegations seriously, and that we are committed to a process that leads us to just outcomes. We must ensure for our community that incidents like this are not repeated in the future. We stand committed to learn the lessons from this incident and use that knowledge to live up to our highest standards. As we move forward, we will strengthen our internal investigation process to ensure that complaints of excessive force and racial bias are appropriately reviewed so that we are able to be held accountable for our actions. It is important to note that the internal investigation into this matter is nearing completion and appropriate disciplinary action will be taken at that time if warranted."