Westside : Man Joins Lawsuit Alleging Police Harassment of Blacks

A black motorist who says he was assaulted by a Beverly Hills police officer in 1994 joined a federal civil rights lawsuit filed recently by six young men who allege that were victims of a Police Department policy that targets African American men for traffic stops.

Littlerock resident Richard Hill, 52, says he suffered injuries to his groin when a police officer frisked him in a July 29 incident. The suit alleges that the subsequent police investigation, which determined Hill’s complaint was unfounded, was a “sham” and “part of the racial policy” of the Beverly Hills department, said Robert K. Tanenbaum, Hill’s attorney.

Hill’s wife, Andrea, also was added Wednesday as a plaintiff to the suit, filed last month against the city, Mayor Allan Alexander, Councilwoman Vicki Reynolds and Police Chief Marvin Iannone. It alleges that the department has a policy of stopping and harassing young African American men.

A police spokesman said the department treats people of all races fairly and impartially.

In addition to the two new plaintiffs, Police Capt. Robert Curtis was added as a defendant, Tanenbaum said. Curtis was the ranking officer over the Hill investigation. . . .