San Francisco Police Sued For Racial Bias After Drug Arrests
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A group of black men is suing the San Francisco Police Department alleging racial bias, claiming the men were targeted for arrest by a department plagued with a culture of racism.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit on behalf of the six men Thursday in a federal court in San Francisco.
The lawsuit alleges that officers targeted black men selling small amounts of drugs while ignoring drug dealers of other races during undercover police buys in the city's low-income Tenderloin neighborhood.
It alleges the department has a long history of racist behavior, starting with a 2002 ACLU study that found black motorists were more likely to be pulled over than drivers of other races.
City Attorney spokesman John Cote did not immediately respond to email and phone inquiries.
© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
