Defense Calls Witnesses In Police Brutality Case

The defense has begun calling witnesses in the people’s case against Aseye Allah and Meron Meshesha. Some witnesses have claimed that police discriminated against a largely black crowd and used excessive force in calming a disturbance outside Cooney’s (now EOS) on Anacapa Street in June 2006. Allah and Meshesha were arrested for allegedly obstructing peace officers in the performance of duty. Police called the incident a “near riot.”