California IN BRIEF : SAN FRANCISCO : Earth First! Activists Sue Police, 4 Agents

Two Earth First! activists, injured in a car bombing a year ago, sued Oakland police and four FBI agents, saying their reputations were smeared by a cursory investigation that treated them as suspects rather than victims. The suit by Judi Bari and Darryl Cherney seeks $3.3 million in damages from police, $14 million from the still-unidentified bomber, and court orders requiring investigation of threats against them, destruction of political files and reassignment of the case within the federal government. Bari, 41, and Cherney, 24, were driving her car in Oakland on their way to Santa Cruz to recruit students for anti-logging protests last May 24 when a bomb detonated inside the car, shattering Bari’s pelvis. Cherney suffered cuts. Oakland Police Lt. Mike Sims said this week the investigation was at a standstill but police and FBI still considered Bari and Cherney to be suspects. The FBI says only that its investigation is continuing.