StoryCorps, a nonprofit organization focused on recording and sharing American stories, recently released "Traffic Stop" as the newest entry in its Animation series.
In it, Alex Landau, a black man, and his adoptive, white mother, Patsy Hathaway, remember what happened one night when Denver police officers stopped 19-year-old Landau for making an illegal turn.
In the video, Landau and his passenger, a white friend named Addison, are asked to get out of the car.
After Addison is handcuffed for being in possession of marijuana, Landau asks to see a warrant before the officers continue to search the car.
In response, the police officers then threaten and beat Landau until he loses consciousness, causing him to suffer a traumatic brain injury and require 45 stitches.
Hathaway recalls the first time she saw her son after the encounter.
In 2011, Landau was awarded a $795,000 settlement by the city of Denver.
Watch "Traffic Stop" in full here:
