LOCAL ELECTIONS / COMPTON MAYOR : Restraining Order Issued Against 2 Candidates

A court commissioner Thursday ordered two Compton mayoral candidates and their families not to get within 100 yards of each other because of ugly words and bad blood.

Each side issued accusations of name-calling, shoving and death threats--all stemming from a candidates forum that ended in pandemonium Tuesday as the families of Councilman Omar Bradley and mayoral hopeful Kenneth Tucker hurled insults at each other.

Members of each side said they feared physical harm from the other camp after the forum, where Tucker compared Bradley to the biblical Judas Iscariot and implied that Bradley sold out the city to developers by supporting a planned card casino.

Superior Court Commissioner Lee Ragins issued a restraining order against both sides.

“The advantage here is that it doesn’t make it sound like one side or the other is at fault,” Ragins said.

The dispute caps a long feud between Bradley and Tucker’s brother, Rep. Walter R. Tucker III (D-Compton). The two clashed over city policy during last year’s riots when Tucker was mayor.

Although Ragins’ order was meant to keep the camps apart, the burden will fall on Bradley to stay away because he is named in the court documents. Should the two candidates walk into the same room, Bradley will have to leave, Ragins said.

The question is important in Compton because almost every candidate or their family members will spend election night Tuesday watching votes being counted in the City Council chambers.

The request for a restraining order was filed by Tucker’s sister, her husband and a Tucker campaign worker. In the complaint, Tucker’s family said Bradley’s brother-in-law assaulted them and threatened to kill their families. Tucker’s sister, who is four months pregnant, said she suffered cramps after Lonnie Howard, who is 6-feet-6, lunged at her.

“He was yelling at me: ‘You’re crazy and your family’s crazy! The Tuckers are all crazy!’ ” Keta Brown said.

Howard declined to comment.

Bradley’s wife, Robin, also asked for a restraining order Thursday against Richard Brown, Tucker’s brother-in-law, but that request was denied for technical reasons. Compton police are investigating her claim that Brown shoved her as she was leaving the forum.

Bradley, who did not appear in court, said: “I am too mature and experienced to allow the Tuckers to bait me into a fight.”