San Diego

The chairwoman of Sagon Penn’s defense fund committee has sued San Diego and four police officers, alleging that she was wrongfully arrested on suspicion of drunk driving.

The San Diego Superior Court suit filed this week by Reiko Obata alleges that two San Diego police officers arrested her only to harass her because she raised money for Penn’s defense.

Obata was chairwoman of the Sagon Penn Legal Defense Committee from June, 1985, until July, 1987.

Penn, 26, who is black, was acquitted of murder, manslaughter and attempted murder involving the March 31, 1985, shootings of two white San Diego Police officers and a civilian ride-along. The case caused deep friction between police and the black community in Southeast San Diego.

Obata was arrested at 2:35 a.m. on Aug. 8, 1987, and was taken to the Las Colinas County Jail for women in Santee. It was not known whether a formal charge was ever filed against Obata.

The suit claims that the police officers who arrested her, Ken Carona and David Williams, knew of her role in Penn’s defense before arresting her.

Obata was asked to perform sobriety tests and did “very well,” the suit says.

A spokesman for the Police Department could not be reached for comment late Thursday.

Obata originally offered to settle the case for $15,000, but city officials rejected the claim several months ago.

Penn was acquitted after two highly publicized trials in which his attorney argued that Penn shot the officers in self-defense in response to a racially motivated attack by one officer.