A man who said he saw off-duty
police officers assault his friend says two officers used racial slurs
as they threatened him, according to a notice of injury filed against
the city. Lovell Harris filed the notice Friday, the first step toward
a possible lawsuit. Harris was with Frank Jude Jr., who was severely
beaten last October by a dozen men who witnesses said identified
themselves as officers. Prosecutors say they expect to file charges in
the case within two weeks. District Attorney E. Michael McCann has said
his investigation has been hampered by the unwillingness of some police
officers to tell all they know. Jude filed a notice of injury
Wednesday. Two women, who said they were falsely detained by the
officers, Katie Brown and Kirsten Antonissen, also filed notices
against the city Friday. Harris' notice reveals some previously
unreleased details about the assault, most notably that the off-duty
officers used racial slurs. Harris and Jude are black. Brown and
Antonissen are white, and the people who beat Harris and Jude are
white, Brown and Antonissen said. [more]