67-Year-Old Paralyzed By Police Received $20 Million Settlement

67-year-old paralyzed by police received a $20 million settlement after filing a lawsuit against the Yuba City Police Department

Gregory Gross sued the Yuba City Police Department in 2022 after officers used excessive force by employing “pain compliance” techniques during the April 12, 2020 incident.

During the ordeal, Gross repeated several times that he couldn’t feel his legs, but police officers ignored his pleas for help. 

The officers also disregarded Gross’s difficulty in breathing while they held him in a facedown position on the lawn outside a hospital, as can be seen in the footage released by Gross’s attorneys.

The authorities accused Gross of driving under the influence and causing a slow-speed collision, which they used as a justification for their excessive actions.

 The incident resulted in Gross suffering a broken neck and undergoing two surgeries to fuse his spine. He now needs round-the-clock nursing care for the rest of his life and can no longer walk or care for himself.

67-Year-Old Paralyzed by police

The $20 million settlement is one of the largest police misconduct settlements in California’s history, and it sets a precedent for holding law enforcement liable for their actions. 

Furthermore, Yuba City agreed to start randomly auditing its police officers’ bodycam footage and reviewing use-of-force incidents. 

Police Chief Brian Baker apologized to Gross on behalf of the department during a press conference and confirmed that Gross’s welfare has been on their minds since the incident.

Gaining closure

The reforms implemented by Yuba City are essential to preventing similar incidents from occurring in the future, according to Gross, who said he is satisfied with the results. 

He also donated $20,000 to the California Peace Officers’ Memorial Foundation. 

Gross’s partner of 13 years, Deronda Harris, expressed her gratitude for the settlement’s finalization and hopes it brings closure to their ordeal.

Legal action against other entities

Gross has also filed separate lawsuits against Rideout Memorial Hospital in Marysville and the University of California, Davis Medical Center in 2021, alleging that their actions contributed to his condition.

 However, Collins, Gross’s attorney, has declined to comment on the lawsuits’ status, citing confidentiality.

Police brutality must not be tolerated

“We are not against the police,” said Attorney Moseley Collins, who represents Gross. “We are for the police, but we are against police brutality when it occurs.” 

His statement reflects that the majority of people support law enforcement and their duty to protect and serve the community. 

However, police brutality has no place in law enforcement and must be corrected promptly before any more people are injured.

Banning certain holds

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law in 2021 that prohibits police officers from using certain facedown holds that have led to multiple unintended deaths. 

The legislation aimed to expand on the state’s ban on chokeholds following George Floyd’s murder. 

These stricter regulations should limit the number of police brutality cases and demonstrate that authoritarianism has no place in the law enforcement profession.

Conclusion

This incident highlights the importance of accountability and transparency in law enforcement, and it is a reminder that police brutality has severe consequences that can leave victims severely injured or dead. 

The $20 million settlement awarded to Gross is one step closer to holding law enforcement accountable for their actions, but much more needs to be done to prevent such incidents from happening again.

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