Remember the notorious incident last July that took place on Anaheim’s gang-ridden Anna Drive when Anaheim police jousted with residents in the wake of the shooting of fleeing gang member Manuel Diaz?
As if we could forget.
Well, eight residents of Anna Drive have filed claims against Anaheim citing, according to the OC Register, “physical injuries, emotional trauma, violations of constitutional protections against unreasonable search and seizure and other damages.”
The claimants want the city to cut them each a check for $500,000. For those not doing the math, that is $4 million tax dollars. There goes the Neighborhood Improvement Fund (what percentage of annual TOT revenue is $4 million?)!
This isn’t surprising. After all, we live in a litigious society, and suing the police is a cottage industry. The Anna Drive incident represents an opportunity for some to cash in and get out of Anna Drive, and with sympathetic media coverage to boot.
Yes, I am commenting on the claims on after seeing only the spare description in the OC Register article. At the same time, let us recall that when police arrived in force following the shooting in order to secure the crime scene — and remember that what prompted the initial police intervention was a gang-conducted sale of illegal guns — a number of residents responded by bringing their young children and babies out to watch the fun. Not exactly behavior you would find in a handbook on responsible parenting.
Then there was the throwing of rocks and bottles at police.
The attorney representing the claimants claims her clients were not among the misbehavers. I don’t know whether that is true. It may be. What is clear to me is the police were operating in a confusing, chaotic and dangerous situation made more confusing, chaotic and dangerous by the bellicosity of a number of Anna Drive residents.
In my opinion, the police were trying to do their job, which is protecting the lives, liberty and property of Anaheim residents – including those of Anna Drive, which is beset by criminal gangs. These claims are more properly lodged against the gangs terrorizing Anna Drive, but the reality is gang members’ response would – unlike the city’s — would be lethal.
That is the reality we should bear in mind as this claim-soon-to-be-lawsuit moves along.
Anaheim Blog 
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January 23, 2013 at 10:39 am
James Robert Reade
Joan Sosa brought a woman named Yesenia to a city council meeting and Yesenia spoke during public comments about being pelted by police but she failed to mention police were being attacked by hardcore murderous gangsters and she had no business bringing her children in an area taped off under investigation. Yesenia withheld information from police for a long time prior to the capture of Manuel Diaz “Stomper” about Eastside gangsters. Yesenia claimed to be a neighborhood watch person but her actions against officers do not reflect that she ever had any intention to cooperate with police to stop gang activities on Anna Drive.
March 14, 2013 at 2:40 pm
Alexandra
WOW, since when is a riot considered fun?
Anyway, I met Mrs. Rojas once, I think she is a very nice woman who’s raising her children to be law abiding citizens of her community. She told me about living in a neighborhood with gang members.
Having said that, I also think that she is trying to make her neighborhood better but going at it the wrong way. She is “neighborhood watching” the people that DON’T need to be monitored 24/7.
The police are not the bad guys; her gang banger friends are the bad guys. I think she needs to take a step back and look with another person eyes. What type of people are gang members? What type of activity are these people involved in? an even better question is…what if my child joins a gang? Am I willing to support this decision because I’ve been coddling the gangs in my neighborhood? What if he makes a bad decision and dies? who’s at fault?
I truly hope she takes a step back and takes other opinions to heart.
March 14, 2013 at 3:22 pm
SoapyRoy
“…a number of residents responded by bringing their young children and babies out to watch the fun. Not exactly behavior you would find in a handbook on responsible parenting.”
Apparently, if certain residents of Anna Drive authored the book, then bringing your children to a riot would be a priority.
Next up, of course, would be the hurling of rocks and bottles, followed by complaints about how the officers actually had the nerve to attempt to protect themselves and the integrity of the crime scene.
Anyone who was milling in or about the scene were ALL among the misbehavers. If any reasonable person witnessed a disturbance, such as the one that occurred on Anna Drive that day, they would walk away, not toward the disturbance. Especially if they had children in tow!
Irresponsible citizens and irresponsible parents of Anna Drive: shame on each and every one of you! No wonder your neighborhood is such a nightmare and in complete shambles!