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A civil rights group has accused authorities in Riverside County of unfairly targeting black-owned barbershops with raids in which officers burst into businesses with guns and bulletproof vests and questioned clients without warrants.

The federal lawsuit filed Wednesday alleges the Moreno Valley Police Department, the Sheriff’s Department and a state inspection board conducted searches under the false pretext that they were part of a health inspection.

“There was no evidence of criminal activity at these locations and no reason that these once-thriving businesses were singled out other than racial profiling,” said Peter Bibring, a staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, which filed the lawsuit. “These raids were a blatant violation of these business owners’ civil rights.”

The lawsuit cites raids from last April in which Moreno Valley police, city code officers and inspectors from the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology raided five barbershops that were owned and patronized by blacks.

At Fades Unlimited, officers ran criminal warrant checks on barbers and customers, the lawsuit claims. The ACLU said a barber who objected was handcuffed and detained in a police car for 10 minutes.

It was not immediately clear if any arrests or citations resulted from the raids.

Spokesmen for the police and the sheriff’s office—which contracts with the city—refused to comment.

A spokesman with the state barbering board would not comment because he had not seen the lawsuit.

Kevon Gordon, whose Hair Shack barbershop was also raided, said the officers treated his employees and customers like criminals because they were black.

“It was sickening,” Gordon said in a news release from the ALCU. “I have lost good customers and had my reputation called into question in a community where I’ve been working for 20 years. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.”

The lawsuit asks that the defendants adopt policies to protect against racial profiling and limit the role of law enforcement.

Tags: Police
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  • http://www.blackplanet.com/burgstyle82/ burgstyle82

    Wow. One step forward, two steps back.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/CoreyLDouglas/ CoreyLDouglas

    break their bank, everyone that was subjected to the abuse should file lawsuits

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Monte_Brown/ Monte_Brown

    I agree with CoreyLDouglas. Sue them for violating their 4th Amendment Rights. The Shop owners should also sue for lost income as a result of the raids. This s**t has to stop.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/zuribibi/ zuribibi

    This is crazy…. I think they want the buildings, so they will do anything to make the owners sell or move out. They must be making a lot of money for this to happen.

    Now I will say that there are a few barber shops that I would not allow my sons to go to…

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/BROATLGR/ BROATLGR

    We must bring this to light on the national stage, this happens to often without the main stream media picking up the story !

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/mzroxy521/ mzroxy521

    This is NOT only happening in California. Chicago and surrounding suburbs are experiencing the same thing.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/JohanPeeters/ JohanPeeters

    I warn all you black american people, leave that sick country. Martial law is on the way, in fact its there already, this is just the beginning. Don’t believe there is a black man in a white house protecting you. Search youtube for “martial law” and Fema camps. Be warned!!
    God bless you all!!!!!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/sigma73/ sigma73

    Sue the hell out of them.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/TBWilliams/ TBWilliams

    Lets be careful where blame is cast. Yes, cops are overly aggressive and ignorant. But the real crime is that the chief of police allowed this to happen in the first place. We can speculate on the motives for the raids, but a forensic investigation should uncover any “alleged” misconduct from developers wanting the real estate to racial profiling to the state inspection board. Keep in mind that we are talking about a corrupt Riverside County where they shoot first, resurface a street, and ask questions later. Lawsuits will certainly get the national attention needed, BUT THE CASES MUST NOT BE SETTLED OF OUT COURT. Changes will come as the verdicts are handed down in Riverside County.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/robhern/ robhern

    It’s no wonder that minority’s don’t trust the police. These police need to respect all american’s in order to get respect. This is not ever going to happen with blaint disreguard to the law from the law itself. The reasoning behind this will never truly be given, only the violaters themselves know and this will not ever come to light. What can we as minority’s do? we must elect our own to these political offices and work from the inside. Although some of our elected officals themselves get caught up in their own scandals, their are still plenty of honest minority americans that can take office and remove the truly corupt public officals. One thing we must do is as minorities is, we must unite and remove these bad officals. we need another leader with a strong christian back round and loyolity to “God” and country will come later. Like “Martin Luther King” Thank you for allowing me to vent. A concerned Chicano American veterian of the Marine Crop. E Dicho

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/udo4self/ udo4self

    Well, to tell you the truth? We just don’t get it. Now I’m not a follower of THE NATION OF ISLAM, nor am I a Christian (who wnats to be a GENTILE anyway), but the Honorable Elijah Muhammads words are staring us right in the damn face! But what are we doing, praising the damn lord for realizing an African American President(in our life time mind you), that’s only thinking about wallstreet. Draconian, is that how you spell it? Draconian police force all around us? What, skin head police force? But what are we doing? Sitting on a damn bench waiding in some damn water! But don’t believe me, check it out. Jeremiah 12:10-11 and 23:1-4. But we sit here and watch this going on. HollaBack, udo4self@yahoo.com!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Gingerd2008/ Gingerd2008

    udo4self – Your words are so true. We should be listening to Minister Farrakhan, he is the ONLY black leader on point right now… and I am not a muslim or a christian either. We are all black so it doesnt matter anyway. It has gotten worst since Obama has gotten in office, and he is indecisive about going to a conference on race relations? Really? Has he gotten out of touch in the past 2 years? I live in Oakland, and the tension here is high… try being a black men in this area right now, in light of the recent events… not just those 4 cops, let us remember that a black man was recently murdered, in cold blood, on camera. They say martial law is supposed to start in CA. We should be watching all of these events diligently!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/big_peaches/ big_peaches

    It seems when the city/state is stressed for ca$h, they run some game to get paid! Whether it be drug raids in neighbor(hood) barbershops, salons, etc., stopping cars on the highway primarily driven by blacks, or literally stoping you on the street because you “fit the description.” Here in NYC a lot of that happens on a daily. You just expect it. Shady dealings from the bodegas (stores) to apt. doors being kicked in to chase some fictionary black man. Although I don’t agree with a lot of what’s going out here with the police or shady operations that goes on in some of these business’, I know that sometimes it must be done. I should know, I used to work in one of those shady barber/beauty salons here in Harlem USA!!! I left after 8 months…

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/dennis165/ dennis165

    you give some police officer a badge and a gun they thank they are god and they rule the world. it is getting were a black person can’t walk down the street now days without getting stop. you can get stop for wwb.walking while black.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/DMY19151/ DMY19151

    THESE PEOPLE ARE LOSING THEIR DAMN MINDS….EVERY F**KING WHERE…KEEP YOUR HEADS UP MEN!!!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/teelee625/ teelee625

    Until we fight back with arms we are going to get the same treatment, so stop complaining unless you are willing to die for the cause.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/luvlee_stylz/ luvlee_stylz

    If you went and took a poll in White America right now, they would tell you that race relations are better than ever and make up one of their random excuses of why this happened. What planet are these people living on? Things are not alright!! I am from South Carolina where I am convinced they still hanging people on the low.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/187mafia_boi/ 187mafia_boi

    i agree with “teelee625″.. STOP complaining and stop leaving comments on subjects that you know you not even gonna do anything about. just make your self look stupid.. separate your silly gossip comment from reality.. Cops gonna keep doing this unless we put fear in they heart & the people that they care bout.. show them whats its really like.. a lot of cops walk around with they heads up high and feel untouchable because people let them.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/thirdeyeny69/ thirdeyeny69

    There are lot of racial profiling happening now that obama is president! the white people are scared that there going to loss some power or something i said it before and i will say it agian for black people it is going to get harder first! we have to keep fighting in stead of relaxing now more than ever! the whites are taking care of there own hiring mostly white people, only becuase they are in the key positions to call the shots! I was a victim of not getting hired becuase i was black with education! it does not matter how much education we have if they don’t want to hire you or they don’t want your business to thrive they are going to do something to discredit you! and the sad part about it is they use us to dismantle our own stuff and we help them! when we should leave them in the cold and no matter the mistakes we take care of our own like they do! you think that all of there family and friends don’t make mistakes! we all screw up here or there!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/SWEETMAN_12551/ SWEETMAN_12551

    RACIAL PROFILING HAS BEEN GOING ON FOREVER. IF YOU’RE BLACK AND DRIVING AN EXPENSIVE CAR; YOU’RE PULLED OVER. NOW IF YOU’RE BLACK AND SITTING IN A BARBER’S CHAIR AT A BLACK BARBER SHOP GETTING A HAIRCUT, THEY FIGURED YOU’RE INVOLVED IN CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. IS IT EVER GOING TO STOP? I DOUBT IT! WHITE LAW ENFORCEMENT IS WHACKED AND PRACTICES RACIAL PREJUDICE. I DARE THEM TO COME MESS WITH ME!!!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/kfcisfome/ kfcisfome

    Maybe the cops go and stop blacks because blacks commit more crimes then any other race. And when the state is low on money, chances are blacks have done something they can be fined for. Blacks are more violent by nature. And too the chimps who are saying “they lost out on a job”…did it ever penetrate your thick chimp skull, that maybe a white man with a higher education got the job. Jesus christ, you apes have affirmative action, and when you don’t get jobs, you still b***h about not getting work. Most of you nigs don’t even show up to work, so why try and find a job anyways? You just get hand outs and steal from the big evil whites. Lazy chimps. stop b***hing that whites are keeping you down, and prove to whites how you can succeed on your own. Stop relying on the government, and STOP COMMITTING CRIME. Blacks make up 13% of the population, yet 50% of the inmates are black…go figure. Not that many cops are against you monkeys.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/ruff75/ ruff75

    I know exactly what ur talking about miss luvlee_stylz i live the in the Carolinas too but in North Carolina and the same stupid s**t happens here too with these damn peckerwoods they always harrassing you but when you take a charge out on their ass for it they want to SWEEP EVERY DAMN THING UNDER THE CARPET I’m sick and tired of their JIM CROW/ HUSH HUSH S**t. Because this kind of s**t is like everyday in north carolina with the police they pull you over some bulls**t trumped up reason just to act like their looking for drugs and here i was just driving around trying to enjoy my f**king day off of work.Things will never be alright because for one they’re already pissed because Obama got the white house and the man is trying to fix all the s**t that BUSH F**KED UP!!!!!!And they’re mad how stupid can they be!! The f**king race relations are about the same as they were back in the sixties i think because racism is still here maybe even worse with the they hate groups on the rise. AND To let you all know whats going on in the south, these motherf**kers are actually trying to lock all the black people up

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/gstackchamillion/ gstackchamillion

    EVERYONE, PLEASE TAKE HEED TO WHAT KFCISFOME POSTED ON THIS BLOG & LETS ALL IGNITE A MOVEMENT ON THAT BULLS**T!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/gstackchamillion/ gstackchamillion

    Thats was a sufficient point that you inerated thirdeyeny69, we all are in the wrong lawfully somewhere down the line, but oftenly white officials from judges to policemen take care of eachother, which in study it shows that whites have only a higher percentage at arrogating lower penalties, recieving more warnings and not being arrested & charged as much for crimes listing from drug possesions to impersonating an officer. There are alot of whites that do go through the same harrassments that most of us are simply promised to go through from birth, just as well, they also have their share in the government assistant pool.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/renzo614/ renzo614

    We only been free for about 150 years, even though we are labeled free, some white folks still consider us blacks as slaves or we shouldnt have the same rights and opportunities as the whites, for example blacks account for 75% percent of the prison population, lowest graduation rate, smoke more cigarettes, highest unemployment rate, welfare, food stamps, unemployment, SSI, drugs, us black will never get a break in our lifetime neither did our ancestors, but if you get a chance to make a difference, take all control to not let them say, we all are slaves, even though we all once were.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/BigSeanNY/ BigSeanNY

    I live in NYC so don’t have a problem of law enforcement raiding the Black barber shops.I repping Harlem NYC so not a issue with me.

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