The disbelief in the voice of Addison Hunold still lingers in his voice as he re-tells the story of his run in with the Denver Police Department on June 19, 2009.
The incident although almost two years ago seems unreal to Addison who describes the incident as, “unbelievable. I can’t still remember it like it was yesterday.”
Addison was passenger to driver Alex Landau on that evening when the Police pulled over the pair for what DPD reported as an illegal left-turn.
Hunold said, “A black guy and a white guy in a big Cadillac. They thought we we’re doing a drug deal or something.”
Hunold admitted that the two had been smoking marijuana in the car before being pulled over and said the car “reeked” of the smell.
When cops approached the vehicle they mentioned the smell when asking for the identification and insurance of Landau.
When re-approaching the vehicle officers asked both to step out of the vehicle and before being searched Hunold surrendered his marijuana voluntarily saying, “I figured he would find it anyway.”
Hunold was naive to the law of proper search and seizer but Landau wasn’t
Landau allowed the police to search the inside of the vehicle but after being asked if they could search the trunk Landau notified the officers that they would need a search warrant to do so. That’s when the abuse began.
Hunold admitted that although his view was impaired sitting in the police cruiser he could see several police piling on top of Landau. He was unaware of the total abuse they inflicted on Landau.
During the episode Landau reported that the police beat him with their fist, batons and flash lights repeatedly until he was unconscious. Although beat to a pulp and brutalized by the police Landau had the awareness to make the paramedics photograph him. The image is a focal point of the investigation and will be certainly used in the oncoming legal pursuit by Landau.
One of the main officers identified in Landau’s case, Ricky Nixon, was fired on April 11, 2011. The firing resulted from another case in which it has been determined he and another officer lied about an incident outside of Denver Diner in 2009.
Hunold said of the officers firing, “it’s about time,” as he reluctantly chuckles.
The civil case has yet to begin but the case of popular opinion is swirling in Denver as the Mayoral race heats up with the issue of police brutality at the forefront.
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