Youth Loses $10-Million Suit for False Arrest

A federal court jury on Friday rejected a Van Nuys teen-ager’s claim that he was falsely arrested last year by Los Angeles police officers who were investigating the shooting death of a popular Grant High School teacher.

The six-member jury deliberated about two hours, concluding a three-day trial in U.S. District Court on Hai Waknine’s $10-million lawsuit against detectives Mel Arnold, Tom Cuillard, Raymond Bennett and Blair Eckert.

Waknine said that on March 24, 1989, police arrested him and held him for seven hours as a suspect in the slaying that morning of teacher Hal Arthur. Arthur, 60, was gunned down as he left his Sherman Oaks house for school.

Police were led to Waknine, then 16, after being told by students that he might have been involved in the case. He was cleared of any involvement after talking to police.