CAPITOL RALLY DECRIES ALLEGED POLICE BRUTALITY

March 16 - The growing distrust of the Denver Police Department among some
residents was clearly visible Wednesday evening on the west steps of the
state Capitol. Even in the midst of the area's biggest snowstorm of the
winter, more than 100 people, including Ismael Mena's widow and eldest son,
stood to demonstrate against the department's alleged brutality.

"I hope for a day when we are proud of the Denver police and don't live in
fear of them," said Jerry Duran, a member of the Justice for Mena
Committee, which organized the rally to protest Mena's death in a police
no-knock drug raid.

Many in the crowd were holding signs, some of which asked for an end to
police brutality and others seeking justice for Mena. The Justice for Mena
Committee made two dozen signs that members said included the names of 21
other victims of Denver police brutality, including 17 deaths.

A variety of speakers voiced their support for the Mena family and their
displeasure with Denver police.

"Some people are saying that $5.5 million is too much," said Brother Jeff,
referring to the amount of money the Mena family is seeking for his
wrongful death.

"Would you say that if it was your father? No amount is enough for this
family."

Jeff owns Brother Jeff's Cultural Center & Cafe in Five Points.

The rally united the young and the elderly, blacks and Hispanics. Members
of a variety of organizations, such as End the Politics of Cruelty and the
American Constitution Party, were also at the rally.

"We look at the Mena atrocity as just one more in a series of crimes by the
Denver police," said Vicki Nash, who has been campaigning since 1997 for
the department to change its investigative procedures.

Leslie Hanks, vice chairman of the American Constitution Party, was at the
rally to support the Mena family and to lobby for an end to no-knock raids.

"Mr. Mena would still be alive if no-knocks weren't allowed," she said.