Residents Assail Revelers, Police : Law enforcement: The Huntington Beach City Council hears views about crowd control used downtown during the Fourth of July.

The City Council got an earful about how the Police Department handled rowdy revelers during the Fourth of July weekend, with some residents praising the crowd-control efforts and others condemning police tactics.

More than 260 arrests were made over the holiday weekend--from Friday night to Monday night, Police Chief Ronald E. Lowenberg said in his report to the council Tuesday evening. Nearly 100 arrests were made from noon Monday to early Tuesday morning, he said.

“We came up with a plan and carried out that plan,” Lowenberg said.

About 10:30 p.m. Monday, police reported revelers burning furniture in the streets and throwing firecrackers, bottles and rocks at officers and cars. But at the time, Lowenberg said, “We did not have a riot. At best, we had an unlawful assembly.”

Several of the half a dozen residents who addressed the council criticized police for taking a strong-arm approach to breaking up the crowds--clubbing bystanders, drenching revelers with water from a truck to disperse them from the area and confiscating unlicensed bicycles.

Other residents praised the law enforcement tactics, which also included asking downtown businesses to close in an effort to clear the area of crowds.

The council took no action after the public’s comments.

Diane Easterling, co-chairwoman of the Downtown Residents’ Assn., in addressing the rowdiness by some, said “Huntington Beach is no longer going to tolerate weekends from hell.”

Loretta Wolfe, also a co-chairwoman of the association, praised police. “The people down here don’t want to take this garbage anymore, so we’re going to work hard to make improvements. . . . We’re going to look for future solutions.”

Others charged that police tactics agitated people and made matters worse.

Jim Righeimer, 35, of Fountain Valley said he and a friend were having beer and pizza at the Huntington Beach Beer Co. at Main Street and Walnut Avenue and witnessed a water truck spray people on the sidewalks.

“When the water truck came, it incited the whole thing,” he said.

Righeimer said he saw police chase people with batons and kick one man in the stomach who had fallen on the ground.

“If they think that’s good police work, that’s wrong,” he said.

Jim King, 19, of Midway City said in an interview Wednesday that he was struck by an officer with a baton before the disturbance broke out, resulting in a cut to the left side of his face that required 15 stitches.

“I’m very angry,” King said, adding he was hit twice with the baton and kicked in the buttocks. He said he suffered a mild concussion and a bruised tailbone.

King said he was walking north on Main Street and was leaving the area as the street was being sprayed with water. He contended that police did not issue any warning to clear the area and that he wasn’t doing anything wrong to warrant being struck with a baton.

Allie Gonsowski, 17, of Huntington Beach said in an interview Wednesday that she was hit across the face by an officer with a baton and received serious injuries.

Gonsowski said she suffered a fractured jaw and teeth were loosened--one was knocked out.

“I didn’t provoke them in any way. . . . I know the riot squad means business,” said Gonsowski, who was downtown with a girlfriend.

She said they decided to leave because they saw a truck spraying people with water. As they walked to her car, Gonsowski was struck by the officer, she said.

“I’ve lost most of my respect for police now,” she said. “I don’t know what made them do this to me. How can you respect them when they did this to me?”

City Administrator Michael T. Uberuaga said at the council meeting that the city will not condone excessive force by police officers, and if people believe they were unjustly treated, they should notify his office.

“They have to tell us, and it has to be proven,” he said.

Uberuaga said he supports the police effort and believes that officers used necessary force to get the crowds under control.

Mayor Linda Moulton Patterson also supported the police.

Councilman Ralph Bauer suggested that, in an effort to stave off problems next year, the council should examine adopting stiffer penalties for people who possess and set off firecrackers, urge neighboring cities to ban the sale of fireworks, and send letters to property owners and alert them about tenants who have loud parties.

Peter Andriet, owner of Huntington Beach Beer Co., told council members that he agreed to shut down his business when disturbances broke out.

“Anything to assist the police was worth the sacrifice in a few extra income dollars,” he said, adding that restaurant patrons left quickly and quietly.

Gaston Villalba, owner of Hurricane’s Bar & Grill at Main Street and Walnut Avenue, said he also had no problem with closing his business. “Most of the people wanted to leave but were afraid to leave because police were outside with batons hitting people,” he said.

Peter Haddad, 30, who lives in Huntington Beach and was on his bicycle downtown Saturday morning, complained to the council that he was harassed by officers who he described as “unprofessional, demeaning and degrading.”

Haddad said he was stopped by police for allegedly running a stop sign. “They were bent out on giving everybody tickets,” he said.

Gary Hoisington,owner of Team Bicycle downtown, charged that police unnecessarily confiscated bicycles.

“It was extremely unfair,” Hoisington said. “Bicycles were taken from good people who had no reason to lose their bike. The great majority of bikes they took were not from troublemakers--most of them were from good, upstanding residents,” he said.

Lowenberg said that about 250 bicycles were confiscated from riders who didn’t have a city-required license.

Hoisington added that impounding bikes was a fruitless effort: “It did nothing to stop any violence. In fact, it may have instigated more violence. The police just made the Fourth of July a confrontation instead of a celebration.”