5 OFFICERS CHARGED WITH LYING ABOUT A KILLING

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MIAMI, March 15 (AP) — Five members of the Miami Police Department's SWAT
team have been charged with lying during a federal investigation of a 1996
drug raid in which a 73-year-old man was killed in a hail of 123 bullets.

The officers, Jose Acuna, Ralph Fuentes, Arturo Beguiristain, Eliezer Lopez
and Alejandro Macias, were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of
obstruction of justice. All five have been on the force at least 12 years.

They were accused of fabricating evidence and agreeing to make false
statements regarding the killing of Richard Brown, a retired seaman who was
shot by the five officers and a sixth SWAT team member. The indictment said
the officers lied in an effort to "justify the deadly force" used on Mr. Brown.

The officers were placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome
of their case, the police said. They could get up to 20 years in prison if
convicted.

Four of the officers were charged on Wednesday. Bond was set at $100,000,
and they immediately posted bond. The fifth defendant, Officer Macias,
turned himself in today and was assigned the same bond.

The SWAT team said that earlier on the day of the raid, Mr. Brown was seen
dealing drugs from his home. The officers said he refused to let them into
the apartment and then fired two shots from a revolver when they burst
through the door. Mr. Brown was fatally shot as his 14- year-old
great-granddaughter sought cover. No drugs were found in the home, but
drugs were found outside a window.

Mr. Brown's family has said the SWAT team's informers were wrong and called
his shooting brutal and unnecessary. Last year the city settled a lawsuit
with the family and agreed to pay $2.5 million after an assistant city
attorney found the accounts of participating police officers unbelievable
and contradictory.

A lawyer for Officer Lopez, Harry Solomon, said the defendants would be
vindicated.

"These are fine dedicated police officers who are only being tried because
of political pressure exerted on the U.S. Attorney's office," Mr. Solomon said.