Irvine Sues Holster Firm, Says Defect Got Officer Kidnaped
The man who got the jump on an Irvine police officer, disarming and abducting him last year, isn’t the only culprit, according to the City of Irvine.
One villain was the Hoyt Holster Co., which made a defective holster that should have foiled the assailant but didn’t, according to a lawsuit filed Monday by the city.
Officer Thomas Friday lost his .357-caliber revolver Sept. 19, 1986, after he stopped Edward M. Reyna for a traffic violation. Reyna kidnaped Friday and drove him south on the San Diego Freeway before the officer subdued him. Reyna has been sentenced to 13 years in prison.
Lawyers for Irvine asked that Hoyt, identified as a Costa Mesa firm, be forced to pay workers’ compensation for Friday, who has not returned to duty.
“Reyna obtained control of Officer Friday’s weapon because the Hoyt Holster . . . was defective in design, manufacture, specification, assembly, or in some other manner,” according to the lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages.
Hoyt touted its product as unrivaled in safety, with special features that prevent loss of a weapon in most circumstances, according to the lawsuit.
A representative of the firm could not be reached for comment.
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