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Cops In "blue Magic" Case Revealed

Cops In "blue Magic" Case Revealed image
Parent Issue
Day
30
Month
July
Year
1975
OCR Text

A highly reliable source has provided the SUN with the names of five Ann Arbor police officers who participated in the search and detention of members of the Philadelphia-based Blue Magic band on May 10 in Pittsfield Township. The musicians have filed a $12 million civil rights action in Detroit Federal Court against Washtenaw County Sheriff's deputies William Tommelein and Randel Evans as a result of treatment they received while in custody of the deputies and Ann Arbor police. The band charges that the law officers physically and verbally abused them following their arrest on an erroneous concealed weapon report.

The Ann Arbor officers named were: Phillip G. Scheel of Ann Arbor, a three year police veteran; Robert Haarer of Dexter, 30 years old; Walter Johnson; Steven Prussian; and David Woodside. According to the informant, officer Woodside was present only briefly at the scene of the search, arriving at 5:27am and leaving at 5:42. Officers Prussian and Johnson were present for about an hour and a half, but were involved in the search of Blue Magic's second vehicle, a van, surrounding which no impropriety has been charged.. 

However, both Scheel and Haarer were present for one and one half hours during the search of the station wagon and its six passengers. The six charge that law officers beat them, threatened their lives and made various racial slurs against them (all six are black). Two also report that their wallets were stolen, containing a total of over $600.

"l'm not authorized to say anything," officer Scheel responded when contacted by the SUN. "I hate to cut you off, but I really can't say anything. It would be up to my superiors to make any statement." The SUN was unable to reach any of the other officers involved.

In response to questions submitted to them at the request of Mayor Wheeler all five Ann Arbor police officers reportedly denied seeing or participating in any misconduct during the search, although one stated that he saw a deputy "shovel" the wallet of one of the musicians into a police vehicle.

However, all five officers may be called on to testify in the suit against the Sheriff's deputies, and there is a strong possibility that Scheel and Haarer will become defendants in Blue Magic's suit.

"They can try to stonewall it like Nixon," stated attorney Mike Olive, an associate of Ivan Barris, representing Blue Magic. "If we make an independent evaluation," he continued, "that these Ann Arbor officers were involved (in misconduct) then we will sue them."

Olive expressed satisfaction with the ongoing federal investigation of the Blue Magic incident, and also praised Sheriff Fred Postill and his assistant Laird Harris; "They're a real big improvement over when I was in school and Doug Harvey was sheriff. Of course anyone would have been an improvement over Harvey." Postill fired Tommelein and Evans as a result of his own investigation of the incident.

The FBI has apparently completed its probe of the case and recently turned over its findings to the Justice Department and Detroit's U.S. Attorney Ralph Guy for possible grand jury action. Meanwhile, Sheriff's deputies Tommelein and Evans responded last week to Blue Magic's suit by denying that they engaged in any conduct not in keeping with "good police practice." The next stage in the case will be the taking of oral depositions from Tommelein and Evans, expected to begin soon, probably in August. Following that, U.S. District Court Judge Lawrence Gubow will set a trial date. Gubow is said to be quite experienced and knowledgeable in the area of civil rights law. "I'm glad we've got him," stated attorney Olive.