The family of a mentally ill homeless man who was killed by a sheriff's deputy in a confrontation that took place for 30 seconds will get $4.5 million from a California county.
The incident took place in March 2021 in Danville in the San Francisco Bay Area. A body camera footage released by the Sheriff’s Department revealed that the plaintiff was holding a knife which he refused to drop, but he did not approach the deputy, yet he was shot.
In 2018, the deputy even killed another mentally ill man in Danville during a slow-speed car chase. The deputy fired 10 shots through the windshield and passenger's side window while standing in front of the vehicle. He even defended the act by stating that he was afraid that the driver of the vehicle would run him down. Contra Costa County agreed to pay $4.9 million in the lawsuit.
The jury overseeing the case said that no amount can compensate for the loss of human life, but these verdicts could prevent further incidents where the officer might wrongfully take a life. Earlier this month, the deputy was convicted of felony assault with a firearm.
