Tabloid photographer sues over Streisand stalking arrest

Wednesday, November 15th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ A tabloid photographer jailed for allegedly stalking Barbra Streisand and her husband James Brolin sued the couple and Sheriff's Department, claiming his civil rights were violated.

Wendall Wall claimed in his Superior Court lawsuit that the arrest was ``committed with evil motive and intent and in callous, reckless and wanton disregard'' of his rights.

The suit, filed Tuesday by attorney Lawrence Longo, said Wall was stopped without probable cause and falsely imprisoned. The suit didn't specify a dollar amount.

Wall, 28, one of Streisand's Malibu neighbors, was arrested Jan. 8 and held on $1 million bail. He was released four days later and prosecutors said there were no grounds for prosecution on stalking allegations.

Deputy District Attorney Martin L. Herscovitz wrote on a one-page evaluation worksheet that there was ``insufficient evidence'' of stalking or credible threats and Streisand and Brolin ``are non-desirous of prosecution.''

At the time, Streisand publicist Dick Guttman said Wall had been following the couple and ``they felt jeopardized.''

``This is a man who pursued us with his camera unrelentingly for years. But, in fact, we never requested his incarceration,'' Streisand and Brolin said in a statement Wednesday.

The sheriff's department said it doesn't comment on pending litigation.

Streisand and Brolin drove to a sheriff's station on Jan. 8 when they noticed they were being followed by Wall in a van as they traveled on Highway 101, Deputy Cruz Solis said at the time of Wall's arrest.

Several hours later, the couple was driving on Pacific Coast Highway near their Point Dume home when they spotted Wall again, allegedly following them again near their home on Zumirez Drive, the deputy said.

They flagged down a deputy and Wall was arrested and booked for investigation of stalking.