OXNARD : 5 Complaints Named Officer, Lawyers Say
Attorneys said Thursday that Oxnard citizens have filed five brutality complaints since 1985 against an Oxnard police officer who allegedly beat several young men outside a loud private party June 15.
The men’s attorneys persuaded Ventura County Municipal Judge John J. Hunter to order the city of Oxnard to release the names, telephone numbers and addresses of the citizens who had filed the complaints against Officer Dennis McMaster.
Assistant City Atty. Charles P. Wessler turned the information about McMaster over to Joseph Lax, an attorney for two of the men who claimed that they were beaten by police. Their trial is scheduled for Nov. 5 in Municipal Court.
McMaster could not be reached for comment Thursday, but Lt. Stan Myers, a police spokesman, said citizen complaints by law are kept confidential.
On June 15, McMaster and other officers took part in a bloody confrontation involving at least a dozen guests at a party at the house of Louis Flores Sr. in the 1300 block of South E Street.
Ten days ago, the city of Oxnard rejected civil claims for injuries received in the melee filed by Louis Flores Jr., 24; Aurelio Guerrero, 19; Joe Urango, 21; David Meza, 29; Anthony Flores, 22; Alfredo Flores, 16; Alex Flores, 19, and Luciano Arrambide, 20.
Anthony Flores is scheduled to be tried for five counts of resisting arrest and his brothers, Louis Flores and Alex Flores, for one count each of resisting arrest.
Meanwhile, the FBI has completed a local investigation on the incident and forwarded its findings to the U.S. Department of Justice.
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