The City of San Francisco was sued for $4.3 million by a man who had been a peaceful observer at the riot following the verdict. He was walking away from the Civic Center area when a cop yelled, “We’ re gonna kill all you faggots!” —-and beat him on the head with his nightstick. He was awarded $125,000. | had wanted to sue the city, but an attorney requested $75 for a filing fee, and | didn’ t have it. | was too foolish not to borrow it, and | decided to forego the lawsuit. | must’ ve been crazy. 3. In 1985, after living in San Francisco for sixteen years, | moved to a walk street in Venice, a block-and-a-half walk to the beach. | rented a top- floor tiny two-room apartment consisting of a kitchen/office where | could see the ocean and a living-room/bedroom which came with a convertible sofa. The bathroom had a bathtub/shower. One afternoon, | took a bus to Santa Monica to eat at a little soul- food restaurant in a food court and to see a Woody Allen movie. When | returned home, | walked up the steps to the top floor, and when | opened the door to my “penthouse” apartment, it was filled with smoke. | had stupidly, utterly recklessly, left a candle burning in a glass ashtray on the arm of the sofa. | didn’ t forgetto do that. | chose to leave it that way. HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_015447