The defense has begun calling witnesses in the people’s case against Aseye Allah and Meron Meshesha. Some witnesses have claimed that police discriminated against a largely black crowd and used excessive force in calming a disturbance outside Cooney’s (now EOS) on Anacapa Street in June 2006. Allah and Meshesha were arrested for allegedly obstructing peace officers in the performance of duty. Police called the incident a “near riot.”
