Atlanta Eagle Lawsuit Grows

Amendments were added Wednesday to the federal lawsuit that pits the Atlanta Eagle Bar against the city's police department over a raid at the establishment last September.

According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution,"Thirty-one Atlanta police officers have been added to a federal lawsuit that complains patrons of a gay nightclub were ordered to lie on the Atlanta Eagle Bar floor, on spilled beer and broken glass, while enduring insults about their homosexuality.

"The suit, originally filed in November, was expanded Wednesday to include six more bar employees and contractors, bringing the total to 28 people who say they were victimized during the highly publicized raid on Sept. 10."

Last week an Atlanta Eagle owner and two dancers were found not guilty of violating city ordinances in the run-up to the raid. Charges against eight other people were dropped.

The Journal-Constitution also reported that the Citizen Review Board continues to question police officers in a separate investigation.

"According to Cristina Beamud, executive director of the board, 11 officers have appeared or agreed to appear to answer the board's questions about the Eagle Bar raid. Beamud said only two of them have declined to answer some questions, claiming their constitutional protection from self-incrimination."