Attorneys for the circle of relatives of Edward Bronstein, who died in police custody in 2020, introduced they reached a $24 million settlement with the state of California throughout a press convention Wednesday.
“Today is huge because the amount of the settlement matters,” mentioned Annee Della Donna, an legal professional for Bronstein’s circle of relatives. “It is a huge message to every officer out there: Take your knees off our necks.”
Family legal professional Eric Dubin mentioned that is the largest civil rights settlement in California’s historical past. Nationwide, it’s the second one biggest settlement in the back of the $27 million George Floyd’s circle of relatives used to be licensed for.
There used to be no admission of wrongdoing via California as section of the settlement, consistent with Dubin.
On March 31, 2020, Bronstein, 38, used to be taken into custody after the California Highway Patrol pulled him over whilst riding on a Burbank highway for suspicion of riding below the affect, prosecutors mentioned.
He used to be delivered to CHP’s Altadena Station, the place officials tried to take a blood pattern. Six officials are accused of forcing Bronstein to the bottom handcuffed and pinning him down via urgent their knees on his legs and neck whilst his blood used to be drawn, consistent with prosecutors. Bronstein time and again informed officials he may no longer breathe sooner than turning into unresponsive because the blood draw persisted, video photos of the incident presentations.
According to prosecutors, officials tried CPR greater than 13 mins after Bronstein become unresponsive. He used to be later pronounced lifeless.
Edward Bronstein’s long-time female friend and mom of his kids, Aundrea, who needed to be recognized via her first identify, is flanked via her legal professionals, Eric Dubin, proper, and Annee Della Donna at a news convention in Los Angeles, May 10, 2023.
Jae C. Hong/AP
In an post-mortem up to now supplied via the circle of relatives’s attorney, the Los Angeles coroner’s place of job ascribed the death to acute methamphetamine intoxication throughout restraint via legislation enforcement, however wrote the way of death used to be undetermined.
In March, seven California Highway Patrol officials and a nurse had been charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection to his death.
Their arraignment is ready for subsequent week and they have got no longer but entered a plea, consistent with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
“What they did was punitive in nature. What they did was aggressive,” Della Donna mentioned concerning the officials’ alleged movements. “What they did was a killing. There’s no excuse. And today, today marks a new beginning and civil rights in California.”
The California Association of Highway Patrolmen, the union that represents CHP officials, informed ABC News in a remark “While Edward Bronstein’s death was regrettable, the California Highway Patrolmen acted within departmental policies while assisting a medical professional to obtain a routine and legally authorized blood draw from a DUI suspect.”
“No evidence suggests Mr. Bronstein suffered from asphyxia during his restraint by law enforcement,” the remark learn.
Steve Cooley, an legal professional representing the nurse charged with involuntary manslaughter in regards to the incident, informed ABC News “our client is 100% innocent, and we can prove it,” claiming that he used to be wrongfully charged.
At the clicking convention, Edward Tapia, Bronstein’s father, mentioned “They did a lot of things that shouldn’t have been done and he could have been here still, but he’s not because of what they did.”
CHP informed ABC News in a remark “The California Highway Patrol continues to respect the judicial process, and we are unable to provide further comment due to the ongoing criminal proceedings. The officers associated with this incident were placed on administrative time off when the Department was notified that they were being indicated on criminal charges.”
Kimberly Sullivan, an legal professional representing the officials, informed ABC News she didn’t have a remark.
ABC News’ Meredith Deliso contributed to this record.
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