Lakewood police are investigating whether one of their officers insulted students from Colorado Christian University during a DUI traffic stop because of their beliefs.
The internal investigation should be done within 30 days, said Dan McCasky, commander of the Lakewood police internal-affairs unit.
The alleged remark, “You (expletive) Holy Rollers over there,” was heard by three students during the Sept. 4 traffic stop, said Harry Carothers , director of security at the school, who contacted Lakewood police officials and asked for the inquiry.
The incident involved Lakewood officer Benjamin Monn’s pulling over 24-year-old Brian Scott Spann, a CCU student, after Monn saw someone throw a beer can from the car onto the lawn of the Green Mountain Presbyterian Church at 12900 W. Alameda Parkway, a police report said. The driver also drove on the grass and made an illegal turn, the officer said in his report.
An open bottle of whiskey and three open cans of beer were found in the car.
“Spann was verbally abusive and disrespectful to me throughout this entire contact,” Monn wrote.
Spann was charged with careless driving and driving under the influence of alcohol and taken to jail. He could not be reached for comment. Four passengers in the car were issued summonses for allegedly having open containers of alcohol in a motor vehicle. They were described in the report as “very cooperative.”
McCasky said there are three levels within internal affairs: inquiries, informal investigations and formal investigations, which are normally reserved for criminal complaints. The CCU student complaint, he said, is an informal investigation.
Staff writer Amy Herdy can be reached at 303-820-1752 or aherdy@denverpost.com.
