FBI Investigates L.A. Deputies’ Role in Cerritos Melee

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has opened a civil rights investigation into a melee at a Cerritos bridal shower in which guests alleged that they were beaten by sheriff’s deputies, a bureau spokesman said Friday.

FBI spokesman Jim Neilson said the civil rights investigation began Monday, but he could not estimate how long it would take. Results of the probe will be forwarded to the civil rights divisions of the U.S. attorney’s offices in both Los Angeles and Washington for a decision on any possible prosecution, he said.

Sheriff Sherman Block “welcomes the FBI probe,” said department information Sgt. John Witt. Block earlier said at a news conference that his deputies acted with “great restraint” after being battered by rocks and bottles while trying to disperse guests at the Feb. 11 party.

The investigation also was hailed by Garo Mardirossian, attorney for members of the Dole family, at whose home the bridal shower was held.

He cited a homemade videotape of part of the incident as evidence of improper conduct by the officers.

“Once anyone sees those tapes, they’ll realize this is not an empty complaint,” said Mardirossian. Part of the tape shows a deputy using his baton to hit at least one man lying on the ground.

Responsibility Falls to Agency

Manuel Medrano, deputy chief of the complaints unit and civil rights monitor for the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles, said the FBI is responsible for investigating all civil rights complaints under 1968 amendments to Title 18 of the federal Civil Rights Act.

Neither Neilson nor Medrano would say what prompted the FBI to look into the Cerritos incident. Medrano said that at any given time “a significant number of cases . . . are pending” involving the many law enforcement agencies in the seven counties that make up the U.S. attorney’s central district. He declined to say if any others involve the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

According to Block, 10 deputies were battered and bruised during the melee at the Dole home. Mardirossian said 24 of the 34 men and women arrested had “significant bruising from batons or billy clubs.”

The Sheriff’s Department, meanwhile, released additional information Friday on the sequence of events.

Lt. Reg Lawson said a caller, identified only as “Sanchez,” telephoned the Lakewood station Saturday night to report men with “sticks and knives” fighting in front of the Dole house.

A report from an observation helicopter a few minutes later said there was no sign of a fight but that “numerous” party-goers were gathered in front of the house. Lawson said that the telephone number that “Sanchez” said he was calling from turned out to be that of a business nowhere near the area and that there was no one at the business named Sanchez.

However, Lawson said other callers also reported the fight. The tape-recording system used for emergency calls was out of service over the weekend.

Lawson also provided more detail on how the melee began. He said that Sgt. William Unland and a force of about 50 officers were unsuccessful in ordering party guests to disperse. Unland and a number of the officers went to a low gate in front of the Dole home. Unland gave the party-goers 10 seconds to disperse and began counting backward from 10. When he received no response, Lawson said, Unland ordered his deputies to move forward and arrest those present.

According to Lawson, as Unland stepped through the gate, he told Dole he was under arrest. When Unland tried to grab Dole, the officer was shoved against the wall and Dole moved back toward the house.

Unland said he then was rushed by about four men and, in response, began swinging his baton. And at this point, Lawson said, Unland reported that beer bottles and rocks were thrown, some of which hit and injured the sergeant.