City of Atlanta, Police Chief, and 48 Officers Sued for Gay Bar Raid

[FreeState]

http://www.towleroad.com/2009/11/city-of-atlanta-police-chief-and-48-officers-sued-for-gay-bar-raid.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+towleroad%2Ffeed+%28Towleroad+Daily++%23gay+news%29

CITY OF ATLANTA, POLICE CHIEF, AND 48 OFFICERS SUED FOR GAY BAR RAID

On behalf of 19 individuals forcibly searched and detained by Atlanta police on September 10 at the Atlanta Eagle gay bar, Lambda Legal is suing the City, the Chief of Police, and 48 officers, the group said in a press release:

"Dan Grossman, co–counsel in the case, has been working with victims of the raid since that night. "I’ve listened to dozens of stories from patrons who were mistreated by police at the Atlanta Eagle that night," said Grossman. 'The Atlanta Police Department is not above the law. They do not get to search and detain people who are not suspected of any crime.' On September 10, the Atlanta Police Department dispatched about twenty to thirty officers to the Atlanta Eagle, including its 'Red Dog Unit' dressed in SWAT team gear, but inside the bar the APD found no public sex, no drugs, or illegal weapons. During the raid, patrons of the bar were forced to lie facedown on the floor while background checks were run on everyone. Eagle bar patrons heard antigay slurs; were forced to lay in spilled beer and broken glass; and one was forced to lie on the floor even though he had injured his back in the Iraq War. Not a single patron was charged with any crime."

Said Supervising Senior Staff Attorney Greg Nevins: "The illegal activity going on in the Atlanta Eagle that night was committed by the APD. If it is APD procedure for elderly men and wounded veterans to be thrown to the floor and harassed simply for being in a bar having a drink after work, then the APD should change its procedures."

Bout effin time I say...

[MattBaggins]

1. Good for them

I hope a hefty fine helps the city change its tactics.

[Hepburn]

2. Good and I hope the Atlanta PD gets hit with a HUGE verdict.

Assholes.... :puke: There simply is NO legitimate excuse the their conduct.

[Occulus]

7. I've come to be of the opinion that these civili suits against police departments shouldn't go after

a set dollar value, but instead should be a (hefty( percentage of the department's operating budget- I'd say not less than 33%.

We have to start sending messages to corrupt police departments, and going after a substantial portion of their budgets might be the only thing that gets them back into line.

[Angry Dragon]

13. I disagree with you

I say go after the person that abused their power. Why should I as a citizen of that city or town have to pay for the misdeeds of others. Let the abuser of power pay the victims. It is time for people to pay for their own mistakes.

[Downtown Hound]

14. They also need to actually start charging police officers when they commit crimes

Why is it that when a civilian commits an assault against another human being, they go to jail, but when a cop does it, they just get sued? If cops started going to jail a little more when they commit crimes like the rest of us, then we'd likely see a huge change in their attitudes.

[myrna minx]

3. K&R n/t

[EFerrari]

4. K&R

[Angry Dragon]

5. They should all lose their jobs.....

and forced to look for other work.

[me b zola]

11. I agree

Abuse of power is a serious issue. When power is used to abuse someone's civil rights that person should no longer be able to work in public service.

[PHIMG]

6. Three cheers for Lambda Legal!!! :) n/t

[Zodiak]

8. There is only one word to describe this behavior from cops

PIGS!

If they want to be bigots and make disparaging remarks about gay people as they are violating their rights, then we have a right to call them fucking pigs. They earned it.

[foxfeet]

10. K&R

[mrbarber]

9. Hope every last fascist is fired.

[MadMaddie]

12. Good! I hope the city loses big!

There was nothing going on but harrassment by the police. I hope many of them lose their jobs too. This was fun and games for them playing the bully because they knew the gay patrons wouldn't fight back.

[Starry Messenger]

15. Good.

I hope those officers lose their jobs as well. Plenty of people need work these days and these hooligans used their positions for terrorism. Disgusting.