A lawsuit filed by the family of a man who was killed after police used a chokehold has been settled after the city of Pittsburg to pay $7.3 million in a settlement.
According to the lawsuit filed, the incident happened when the victim was on the run after he fled from a traffic stop and was being chased by Pittsburg officers. The officers chased him through a home and tried to detain him in the kitchen. Officer Ernesto Mejia said that the victim tried to bite, punch, and headbutt during the arrest.
An autopsy revealed that the chokehold had cut off the victim's breathing and fractured cartilage in his throat, which caused extensive hemorrhages. It further unveiled that methamphetamine was found in the victim's system, which the pathologist testified might be a factor for his death.
The controversial neck hold is banned across the country after a similar incident happened in May in Minneapolis. The city of Pittsburg was the first to pass the resolution in early June to ban the technique. A couple of months ago, California also banned arm-based grips, including chokeholds and carotid holds.
The settlement is considered to be the largest ever paid to settle a chokehold death lawsuit in California and is the third time the Bay Area police department agreed to a multimillion-dollar settlement in recent times.
