More than 700 federal and local officers participated in the 5 a.m. sweep nicknamed "Operation 22 Green" and executed 63 federal search warrants and 22 arrest warrants for members and associates of the Vagos.
There were 25 arrests as a result of the raid.
Joe Yanny, attorney for the plaintiffs, who include the Woodall family of Rialto and the Rooney family of Norco, said his clients "were subjected to domestic torture akin to waterboarding" during the raid.
The complaint lists unlawful search and seizure, intentional infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy. It names as defendants the San Bernardino and Riverside county sheriffs' departments, the Riverside Police Department, former Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The local agencies declined to comment, and a spokeswoman for ATF's Los Angeles field office said the office had just learned of the suit was in the process of gathering material with their counsel.
Among the allegations, the suit claims the misconduct of local authorities while federal agents looked on.
they maced the family dogs in the backyard and tormented the children.The suit alleges also that as the Rooney home on the 100 block of Eighth Street in Norco was searched the same morning, Robin Rooney was pulled from a shower naked and taunted with remarks like, "Thanks for the peep show."
Yanny said the children of these families were traumatized by the experience, Joy Woodall and John Rooney lost their jobs as a result, and no weapons nor drugs were found in either household.
andrea.bennett@
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