On June 4, 1984, the Sanders filed a complaint against the City of Anaheim, Chief of Police Kennedy, thirty-four police officers, and five Anaheim City Council members. The complaint sought relief based on
42 U.S.C. §§ 1983,
1985(3) and
1986, as well as on various pendent state grounds.
The complaint alleges that on July 24–25, 1983, the Anaheim police embarked on a ten-hour siege of the Sanders' residence. During the siege, helicopters swooped over the house at low altitudes.
At the end of the siege, marbles or other missiles were thrown or shot by slingshots at the residence. Numerous windows were broken, stucco was chipped from the house, and the garage door was so badly damaged that it had to be replaced. The metal bodies of vehicles parked in the driveway were damaged by the projectiles.