Black Man to sue East Palo Alto police for alleged beating

Oakland civil rights attorney John Burris will file a civil lawsuit against the East Palo Alto Police Department on behalf of Calvin Brooks, a man who was reportedly beaten by two off-duty police officers and an 18-year-old volunteer last summer. The officers and the volunteer were indicted Wednesday on felony counts of police brutality by a San Mateo grand jury, and were released on $25,000 bail each. They will be in court Thursday to enter their pleas. East Palo Alto Police Officers Edward Rivers, Jr., Johnny Taflinger, Jr. and Explorer Eddi Tapia Torres confronted Brooks outside a 7-Eleven on Aug. 21, 2004 and asked him if they could purchase drugs. The officers and Torres were not on duty, and chased Brooks down after he fled, roughing him up so badly that he needed hospitalization. Brooks, 42, told The Times on Friday that he knew the police did not like him, saying his criminal record had made him a target. But Brooks said he never thought the police would ever actually assault him. "The officers identified themselves as police," said Burris, who is well-known for representing Rodney King and the victims in the Oakland Riders trial, among many other police brutality cases. "Even though they were off-duty, they were acting as police." Burris said he will file a claim against the three officers individually and the department itself by Feb. 15. Burris said he plans to file a federal civil rights lawsuit as well. "This is an outrageous use of police power and a lack of sensitivity to the plight of the people in the streets. For (the officers) this was just fun and horsing around," Burris said. In addition, the fact that an 18-year-old volunteer trainee was involved makes the case even more egregious, Burris said. [more]