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Aurora, CO – Two Aurora police officers have been suspended for leaking bodycam footage of the Denver mayor’s son spouting vulgar slurs at an officer who stopped him for speeding.
Aurora Police Officer Paul McClendon initiated a traffic stop on 22-year-old Jordan Hancock at about 7:47 a.m. on March 23 after the son of Denver Mayor Michael Hancock clocked in at 65 mph in a 40 mph zone, KDVR reported.
The entire interaction between Hancock and Officer McClendon was captured on the officer’s bodycam, and showed Hancock behaving in a rude and disrespectful manner toward Officer McClendon from the first moment of the encounter.
Part of the outrageous video was leaked to the public in May, and it was so bad that the mayor of Denver had to issue a public apology on behalf of his son.
“The last thing we want is young men interacting with our police officers in that manner,” Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said when the bodycam was leaked. “Particularly, African-American young men and so [Jordan] recognizes that and he certainly understands that the officer didn’t deserve the interaction that he had… So he’s written an apology to the officer and he hopes that one day he gets a chance to personally apologize.”
Aurora PD brass were furious about the early release of the bodycam video clips and vowed to locate and hold somebody accountable for the leak.
However, they were forced to release the entire 15-minute bodycam recording on Aug. 15 after a public records request was made, KDVR reported.
But then internal affairs went on the hunt for the culprit who had leaked the video earlier.
The department’s investigation determined that Officer McClendon was not responsible for the bodycam leak; however, they determined that he had shown the video to Officer Paul Timmons, who recorded the interaction with the mayor’s son on his cell phone, KDVR reported.
Officer Timmons showed the video to Officer Judy Gurley-Lutkin, and Officer Gurley-Lutkin showed it to her husband, the investigation revealed.
Aurora police officials didn’t say whether they thought Officer Gurley-Lutkin or her husband had leaked the video to the media, but both Officer Gurley-Lutkin and Officer Timmons were given a one-day suspension at the end of the investigation, KDVR reported.
The controversial video showed Jordan Hancock cursing at Officer McClendon, using gay slurs to insult him, and boasting about how his father was mayor and how he would have the officer fired.
“Good morning. Clocked you on my laser at 65 miles an hour,” the officer greeted Hancock, who had only opened the window about two inches.
“Okay, write your ticket, let’s go,” Hancock replied dismissively in the video.
“Alright, well give me your driver’s license,” Officer McClendon instructed the mayor’s son.
“I don’t have my I.D. on me right now. I lost my wallet,” Hancock told the officer.
“You okay? Alright, do you have a valid driver’s license?” Officer McClendon asked.
“I got somewhere to go. Yeah. My wallet was stolen. I don’t have it on me,” Hancock explained.
“Well it’s going to take a little while. You need to calm down a little bit, okay,” the officer told him.
“I’m good. This needs to hurry up,” Hancock insisted on the video.
“This isn’t going to hurry up because you don’t have your driver’s license,” Officer McClendon replied.
At that point, Officer McClendon asked to see the vehicle’s paperwork, and when the Hancock handed it to him, he noticed the name on the registration wasn’t the same as the one the man had given him.
“Jordan, how come this title is in the name of Michael B. Hancock?” McClendon asked.
“Because that’s my mother-f–king dad,” Hancock replied sarcastically.
“Cause that’s your mother-f–king dad? OK,” the officer mimicked him. “So it’s your dad’s car then.”
The video showed Officer McClendon returned to his motorcycle and ran the vehicle’s tags, and the driver’s information, through his dispatcher. Then he issued Hancock a ticket.
He returned to the car, handed Hancock his ticket, and explained that because it was for 25 mph over the speed limit there was a mandatory court appearance.
Hancock was rude and told the officer to hurry up and get back on his motorcycle and go so he could leave, the video showed.
The officer politely told Hancock he was good to go and returned to his motorcycle. But then he realized that he should have taken the driver’s picture as was required when the person doesn’t have an I.D. on them for a traffic stop.
When the officer told Hancock he was taking his picture, it seemed to put the angry young man over the edge.
“That’s why I’m your boss, b—h,” Hancock told the officer as he began to walk away. “My dad’s the mayor you f–king f–got.”
“Mayor of what? Of Denver?” Officer McClendon asked.
“Yeah, exactly motherf–ker.” Hancock told him. “Don’t worry about it, b—h.”
“Well you’re in Aurora, bud. He ain’t mayor of Aurora,” the officer told Hancock.
“And guess what? I’m about to get you fired you f–king b—h!” he told the officer, as he laughed in his face, the video showed.
“For what?” Officer McClendon asked, remaining calm throughout Hancock’s tantrum.
“Yeah exactly, don’t worry about it. Hey, been [unknown], you f–king b—h,” Hancock replied.
“OK, I’m sure your dad is going to be proud,” Officer McClendon said and then the video ended.
After the full bodycam video was released on Aug. 15, the mayor’s office said Jordan Hancock had apologized to Officer McClendon in person, KDVR reported.
He also paid his $275 speeding ticket, the mayor’s office said.
Hancock was also uncooperative with officers on Sep. 28, 2014, when investigators questioned him about the shooting of 19-year-old Jalen Robinson, The Denver Post reported.
Robinson, who was traveling in an SUV with Hancock and other friends, was shot in the back of the head by front seat passenger Eddie Johnson.
Hancock claimed that the round was fired by someone outside of the vehicle, although Johnson later pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to the incident.
Robinson survived his injury.
You can see the bodycam video below: