SLAIN OXNARD OFFICER'S WIFE SUES CITY, POLICE.Byline: Michael Coit Daily News Staff Writer The widow of an Oxnard police officer killed by a fellow special weapons officer during a botched botch tr.v. botched, botch·ing, botch·es 1. To ruin through clumsiness. 2. To make or perform clumsily; bungle. 3. To repair or mend clumsily. n. 1. drug raid filed a $15 million lawsuit against the city and police officials in federal court Wednesday, claiming excessive force and challenging police tactics and training. The lawsuit brought by Jennifer Jensen comes three months after an investigation by the Ventura County District Attorney's Office found blame with the Oxnard Police Department's special weapons team but stopped short of accusing the sergeant who shot Officer James Jensen James Jensen is a character in The Sadhu from Virgin Comics created by Gotham Chopra with a crime. An attorney for Jensen's widow said the district attorney's report provides ample evidence for her to seek civil damages in U.S. District Court. ``The police must be held accountable for abuses of police power. Otherwise, public confidence in the Police Department will be undermined,'' Edward Steinbrecher, the Encino attorney representing Jennifer Jensen and the couple's two young daughters, said during a news conference at his office. Jensen was shot by Sgt. Daniel Christian, a police supervisor, as the Special Weapons and Tactics team raided a condominium condominium In modern property law, individual ownership of one dwelling unit within a multidwelling building. Unit owners have undivided ownership interest in the land and those portions of the building shared in common. where methamphetamine-dealer suspects were believed to be living March 13. The lawsuit claims Christian and five Oxnard police officials violated James Jensen's civil rights. The lawsuit claims Christian intentionally shot and killed Jensen by firing three shots from his 12-gauge shotgun shotgun: see small arms. shotgun Smoothbore shoulder firearm designed to fire a number of pellets, or shot, that cover a large target area after they leave the muzzle. It is used mainly against small game such as birds. , and that he was under the influence of phenobarbital phenobarbital /phe·no·bar·bi·tal/ (fe?no-bahr´bi-tal) a long-acting barbiturate, used as the base or sodium salt as a sedative, hypnotic, and anticonvulsant. phe·no·bar·bi·tal n. . The lawsuit claims the other police officials failed to adequately prepare the special weapons team for dangerous raids, and also charges that they failed to complete a good faith investigation and discipline Christian, as well as change practices following Jensen's death. ``They go on for page after page, but that's what they remain, allegations,'' said Oxnard attorney Alan Wisotsky, who represents the city, Christian and the other police officials. Wisotsky said ``the evidence and the law will answer `no' '' to the question of whether they violated Jensen's civil rights. ``Does that mean that there were no errors made? No, it doesn't,'' he added. ``What matters is was it reasonable for what that officer did at the moment.'' The March 13 raid followed an investigation by U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was established in 1973 by President richard m. nixon as part of the Justice Department, thus uniting a number of federal drug agencies that had often worked at cross-purposes. officials who tracked two men selling methamphetamine methamphetamine (mĕth'ămfĕt`əmēn): see amphetamine; methedrine. in Oxnard. The raid turned up a handgun and a small amount of cash, but no suspects and no narcotics narcotics n. 1) techinically, drugs which dull the senses. 2) a popular generic term for drugs which cannot be legally possessed, sold, or transported except for medicinal uses for which a physician or dentist's prescription is required. . Jensen led the raid on the condominium's second floor after tossing a flash-bang explosive charge Noun 1. explosive charge - a quantity of explosive to be set off at one time; "this cartridge has a powder charge of 50 grains" burster, bursting charge, charge . Christian told police investigators he saw someone who he believed was a suspect facing him and pointing a gun in the smoke-filled hallway. Christian said he fired three shots from his 12-gauge shotgun, only to realize he shot his partner. The district attorney's report, however, found that Christian should not have mistaken Jensen for a suspect, noting that an officer behind Christian identified Jensen and no officers saw the figure holding a weapon. |
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