Pubdate: Sat, 04 Nov 2000
Source: Lubbock Avalanche-Journal (TX)
Copyright: 2000 The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
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Author: Linda Kane, Avalanche-Journal
Bookmark: Tulia clippings http://www.mapinc.org/find?BK=Tulia

TRIO DENIES CLAIMS IN DRUG BUST SUIT

Law Enforcement Officials Respond To Tulia Allegations

Three law enforcement officials being sued for allegedly targeting
blacks during a 1999 drug sting in Tulia have denied wrongdoing in
connection with the bust.

Swisher County Sheriff Larry Stewart, Swisher County District Attorney
Terry McEachern and undercover agent Tom Coleman claim they did not
conspire to violate the civil rights of blacks in Tulia. Coleman
conducted the 18-month undercover operation that led to the arrests of
43 people, 40 of whom were black.

In documents filed in federal court in Amarillo, the trio denied the
allegations set forth in a lawsuit brought by the Texas affiliate of
the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of Yul Bryant, a black
man arrested during the bust. The lawsuit seeks $1 million in actual
damages and $1 million in punitive damages from each of the three defendants.

The charges against Bryant were later dropped because Coleman couldn't
positively identify Bryant, McEachern said Friday.

The lawsuit alleges that Bryant was kept in jail for six months before
his charges were dropped. McEachern said Bryant bonded out of jail
eight days after being arrested for the drug-related charge and was
later jailed for six months on an unrelated charge.

McEachern said Bryant's parole on the unrelated charge was revoked and
that's why he was jailed for six months. McEachern said he didn't know
why Bryant was on parole.

Tulia, which is about 70 miles north of Lubbock, has stood divided on
the issue of the drug bust.

A group of citizens called the Friends of Justice has rallied at the
state Capitol in Austin to show opposition to the bust.

On the other hand, hundreds of community members have publicly voiced
their support for the drug arrests.

The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into
whether civil rights were violated during the bust.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the
American Civil Liberties Union filed a complaint last month with the
Justice Department charging racial bias was behind the arrests.
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