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A police brutality lawsuit filed Thursday against the Denver Police Department on behalf of a 16-year-old contends five officers repeatedly punched and stomped him and he was hit with a flashlight so hard it broke. The lawsuit, filed in Denver District Court, states that Juan Guillermo Vasquez suffered severe internal injuries, including a lacerated liver, a ruptured spleen, severe bruising of the kidneys, contusions to the head and face and severe bruising of the ribs. Wednesday, Douglas Romero, a lawyer representing Vasquez, sent a letter to Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper stating that litigation could be avoided with a $1.3 million settlement on behalf of Vasquez, who is 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 130 pounds. The letter states Vasquez was "unfairly targeted and treated differently because of his Hispanic race." Andrew O'Connor, a former public defender from New Mexico assisting the family in the litigation, said Vasquez is recovering and still has a drainage tube in his back.