Inglewood Police Held Liable in Case

Putting an end to a rare and bitter seven-year dispute between the Los Angeles and Inglewood police departments, a federal civil jury has found that officers from Inglewood, not Los Angeles, took Eddie Joe Hewitt into custody in 1989, and that they used excessive force doing it.

None of the 10 LAPD detectives at the scene--who said all along they were some distance away when the Hewitt was dragged from his hiding place under a pickup truck--were held liable.

The jury said that Inglewood canine handler Sgt. John Bell “and other Inglewood officers” unnecessarily caused Hewitt’s injuries, which included gashes to his head, dog bites and bruises. They also ruled that Bell acted with malice when he allowed his dog to repeatedly bite the longtime gang member, who had been sought in connection with a double slaying.

Jurors awarded Hewitt, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter and is now in prison, $10,000 in general damages. The panel was set to consider additional punitive damages against Bell but the city of Inglewood agreed to settle the case last Wednesday for $105,000 total.

The incident, which began when LAPD detectives chased a fleeing Hewitt into Inglewood, has left an uncomfortable rift between police agencies that work together daily.

Although neither directly accused the other of intentionally abusing Hewitt, both said it was the other who first pulled the 32-year-old out from beneath a pickup after a manhunt.

Although Hewitt named both cities as defendants, the weeklong trial found the two departments battling each other more than defending themselves.

“It’s an unfortunate situation, but our police officers were adamant that they had nothing to do with the moment of apprehension in question here,” said Los Angeles Senior Assistant City Atty. Dan Woodard.

The trial, which included allegations of misconduct at the upper echelons of the Inglewood department, has further raised the ire of some of the rank-and-file officers, who have long contended that misdeeds by ranking officials are frequently glossed over.

The most troubling allegation of misconduct was one levied by both Hewitt and Los Angeles.

Both camps alleged that Inglewood had tried to cover up its role in the incident because one of the highest-ranking members of the department, a captain, had witnessed the beating--and that his wife, an Inglewood officer, was among those delivering blows.

Two LAPD officers testified that during a 1995 “walk-through” of the incident, Inglewood Capt. James Seymour had indicated that he had turned off his flashlight because he thought Hewitt was being struck and didn’t want onlookers to see.

The captain and his wife, Det. Diane Seymour, denied those allegations from the stand.