Jury Awards $15,000 to Family Over Police Civil Rights Violation

A Los Angeles federal court jury Monday ordered two white detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Foothill Division to pay more than $15,000 in damages for violating the civil rights of a black family during a search in Van Nuys.

The jury deliberated less than a day before awarding the damages to Robbie Townsend, 49, and her two nephews, Dennis Thomas, 25, and Michael Thomas, 22. Townsend’s son, Eric Brown, listed also as a plaintiff, received nothing.

The jury took 3 1/2 days before deciding last week that detectives Steven Fisk and Jim Vojtecky were guilty of violating the plaintiffs’ civil rights.

Fisk and Vojtecky oversaw the serving of warrants in a search for suspects in a gang-related homicide. On Sept. 27, 1989, one of the warrants was served at Townsend’s home in the 7400 block of Hazeltine Street after police received word that Eric Brown was a friend of a possible suspect in the slaying.

Townsend was handcuffed while police searched her home, “trashing” it by throwing clothes and personal belongings about, she said. Her son and nephews were taken to the police station in handcuffs for questioning.

The Thomas brothers were released. Brown was arrested on suspicion of possession of narcotics but released three days later when the substance seized turned out to be soap flakes.

The family’s attorneys charged the officers hauled in Brown and the Thomas brothers for questioning because Fisk and Vojtecky ordered them to detain any black male between 15 and 25 years old.

“What they did was corral these people without any evidence of suspicion whatsoever,” attorney Ed Fox said. “You cannot round up all black men . . . bring them down to the police station in handcuffs, then hold them simply because you have a question to ask them.

“This type of thing is not done to white people.”

Defense attorneys were not imediately available for comment.