Witness

Dropping Robbye Gerl at the bus stop at Fox Hills Mall today, we saw two men being detained by the police. It looked like this: three squad cars, six Culver City police officers, two men handcuffed and sitting on the curb. Robbye said that she had seen one of the men a few minutes before, walking down the street in a jacket and cap, not running or looking to get away, just walking. As she jumped on the bus she said to me, "go up to the police and ask them why they are holding those men". So I did. Well, first I watched-I stood next to folks who were waiting for the bus. We all watched. Nothing much happened except the police talked a bit with each other and then to the men. The guy with the cap wanted to know if he was arrested. The police officer's response was, no, not arrested, detained, which means that we can't legally hold you, but you can't go. Then two squad cars left and the men were led to the front and back seat of the third car. Minutes later the man with the cap was released. Before they let him walk away, they pulled up his shirt, front and then back, and had him open his mouth wide and stick out his tongue. Then they drove off with the other man in the car and left the guy with the cap standing there-trying to regain a shred of dignity in front of the bus riders and others who witnessed his detention.