On February 4th, 2020, Shasta County Sheriff’s Sergeant Jose Gonzalez shot and killed Thomas Barbosa, a 41-year-old combat veteran with severe PTSD. Barbosa was experiencing hallucinations, which prompted his wife to dial 9-1-1 for emergency medical assistance. Due to Barbosa’s history with mental health problems, the Shasta County deputies had…
Law enforcement shootings of unarmed men of color are an epidemic in this country. And today, we address yet another one. On October 5, 2020, Napa County Sheriff’s Sergeant David Ackman pulled over Juan Garcia’s vehicle because Juan was driving with his headlights off, a minor vehicle infraction. Immediately upon…
The City of Vallejo agreed to pay $5.7 million to avoid trial against the children and parents of Ronell Foster, who was shot and killed by Vallejo Officer Ryan McMahon in 2018. Officer McMahon was stopping Ronell for a bicycle infraction, and says he only intended to give him a…
Today, in response to community uprising over Minneapolis police officers’ murder of George Floyd by restraint asphyxia, Donald Trump tweeted “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.” Mr. Trump is promoting the use of deadly force in response to property crimes, which is blatantly unconstitutional. The United States Constitution prohibits…
Mendocino County, the City of Willits, and California Forensic Medical Group (CFMG) agreed make wide-ranging reforms and pay $5,000,000 to Steven Neuroth's brother after his death in the Mendocino County Jail on June 4, 2011. The callousness shown by Willits officers, the jail nurse, and jail staff leading up to Neuroth's death has sparked outrage by
Santa Cruz County and the City of Capitola paid $2.5 million to settle this case before trial where they caused a 15 year old boy, who they knew was experimenting with LSD, to be shot and killed. This case was brought by Luke’s parents and sister (Haddad & Sherwin LLP…
$2.1 million settlement was reached in 2010 for the four daugters of a man killed by store security guards after he had shoplifted a few dollars worth of merchandise. Security guards chased the man into the parking lot where they tackled him and pil…
Negotiated a substantial settlement for the 81-year-old mother of a man, who was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and who ran from a plainclothes officer who shot him in the back. The officer was acquitted after being charged with 2nd degree mu…
$1.5 Million recovery for the parents and baby daughter of a 20 year old man shot in the back by an Oakland police sergeant, with two previous shootings. Several witnesses saw the officer shoot the young man in the back when the man had nothing in h…
Secured compensation for the son of an electrical lineman killed in a workplace accident, from settlement of a complex, multiple party, product liability case. The lineman was working in an aerial lift to upgrade a utility pol…