SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - The city of San Jose agreed to pay nearly $800,000 to the Hells Angels motorcycle club to settle claims police needlessly killed three dogs during raids on club members' homes. Ninety officers participated in the raids on the club's San Jose headquarters and nine members' homes following a 1997 killing at a strip club.
Steve Tausan, a bouncer and Hells Angels member, was later acquitted of murder and none of the bikers whose homes were targeted was ever charged.
In a lawsuit, the club claimed the dogs were killed after police refused to give owners and caretakers a chance to secure the animals.
"We sincerely hope the city will engage in changes to its policy and training to make sure that this doesn't happen again," said Karen Snell, one of the club's lawyers, after the settlement was announced Tuesday.
San Jose City Attorney Rick Doyle said the city was forced to settle because an appeals court ruled shooting the dogs violated constitutional protections against unreasonable search and seizure.
"Given the totality of the circumstances and the court's decision, it's a decision we can live with," Doyle said.
Another jurisdiction, Santa Clara County, Calif., earlier paid about $990,000 to settle claims brought against the sheriff for the raids.
