Another Man Says He Was Beaten By Denver Police

DENVER (CBS4) - Denver police officers are accused of beating a man and using a racial slur after a minor traffic stop. One of the officers is still under investigation from another highly-publicized case.

The lawsuit was filed in Denver Federal Court by a man named Alexander Landau. He was stopped by Denver police 2 years ago this week and claims he was severely beaten.

"We're suing about the senseless beating of a college student. The racial component is troubling," said Landau's attorney, John Holland.

Landau was 19 at the time. He claims Denver police beat him with their fists, a radio and a flashlight until he was rendered unconscious. He challenged police by asking if they had a warrant to search the trunk of his car.

The lawsuit claims the officers involved became irate at the questioning of their authority. It claims one officer yelled, "he's going for the gun."

Landau said he replied, "No I am not!"

His lawyer described what happened to Landau.

"He had forty stitches. He was covered in lacerations and blood," Holland said.

A picture shows landau's coat covered in blood.

The lawsuit quotes an officer's report that Landau continued to try and reach for one of the officer's guns and pulled away from another.

One of the officers involved is Cpl. Randy Murr, who is under investigation in another case caught on tape in which a young man was thrown to the ground by a different officer and struck repeatedly after an incident at a nightclub.

"It's unacceptable to us that this kind of thing is continuing to happen in Denver Colorado," Holland said.

At the time of the incident Landau was charged with attempting to disarm a police officer. That charge was dropped.

Denver police say Internal Affairs has reopened the case, which is being monitored by the independent monitor. No further comment is being made because they have not seen the suit.