OXNARD : Charge Dropped in Clash With Police

The Ventura County district attorney’s office decided Monday to drop a charge of resisting arrest against an Oxnard man who says that he was the victim of an unprovoked beating by Oxnard police.

David Meza, 29, was arrested on suspicion of resisting arrest during a June 15 clash between 18 officers and about 12 party guests at a house in the 1300 block of South E Street.

If he had been charged and found guilty, Meza could have been fined a maximum of $1,000 and sentenced to one year in jail.

Police had also arrested Anthony Flores, 22, on suspicion of assaulting a police officer and his brothers, Luis Flores, 24, and Alex Flores, 19, and another party-goer, Aurelio Raudales Guerrero, 19, on suspicion of resisting arrest. Two weeks later the district attorney’s office dropped the assault charges against Anthony Flores and instead charged him with five counts of resisting arrest, officials said.

The five men, who suffered cuts and bruises on their faces and bodies, said they and several others at the party were the victims of police brutality.

Police Chief Robert Owens has requested an investigation into the incident by the department’s internal affairs unit.

In an interview a week after the incident, Meza said he was beaten and kicked by officers for trying to take photographs of the alleged brutality. He said two police officers ripped the film out of his camera.

Meza said the beating left him with bruises and ligament damage in his right leg.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Edward F. Brodie, misdemeanor supervisor in the district attorney’s office, could not be reached for comment.