South Bay : SUITS NAME POLICE

Torrance police were slapped with two separate lawsuits this week alleging excessive force and civil rights violations.

Carson resident Carol Yvonne Ferns, 37, filed suit Tuesday in Torrance Superior Court alleging that police splattered her with pepper spray, pushed her to the ground and took her to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center for psychiatric observation.

Ferns was pulled over at Madrona Avenue and Torrance Boulevard on April 4 by Officer Kyle Goffney for driving with a temporary Department of Motor Vehicle operating sticker. Angela D. Robinson, Ferns’ attorney, said Goffney believed the sticker had expired.

The same day, Lomita resident Damon Bordenave, 18, filed a $5-million claim in Torrance Superior Court Tuesday alleging that he was dragged across the pavement and racially insulted while eating with two friends at a Carl’s Jr. restaurant on Sept. 20.

Stephen Garcia, Bordenave’s attorney, said police say they were responding to a call of a man in the area with a weapon.

Bordenave, who is legally blind, filed a complaint against Officers Pat L. Such and Lloyd DeGonia the day after the incident but received a letter from police Dec. 5 saying that an internal investigation turned up no wrongdoing by either officer, according to the lawsuit.

Both plaintiffs are African American.

The two cases come on the heels of a $379,000 civil rights judgment that was awarded to three Latino men last month when a federal jury found that police officers had illegally detained and searched the men.

Torrance Deputy City Atty. Robert Acciani said he could not comment on the legal action because the city has not yet been served with the papers.