Representatives for the family of Edward Bronstein announced Tuesday, May 9, that they had reached a civil rights settlement with the state of California for $24 million. Bronstein died in police custody in 2020 after yelling, "I can't breathe," while being detained by three policemen.
The $24 Million Settlement
On March 31, 2020, California Highway Patrol officers arrested Bronstein, then 38 years old, on suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI).
According to USA Today, a roughly 18-minute video from last year shows police officers attempting to collect a blood sample from Bronstein while throwing him to the floor. Bronstein seemed to lose consciousness on camera after being kept down for a while. His death was officially confirmed afterward.
Los Angeles County prosecutors filed involuntary manslaughter charges against seven CHP officers and a nurse in March, AP News previously reported. All of them have entered not-guilty pleas.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, who announced the criminal charges in March, said the police had failed Bronstein and that their failure was criminally negligent that led to his death.
Attorneys representing Bronstein's minor children, Annee Della Donna and Eric Dubin, have described the $24 million payout as the biggest civil rights settlement in the history of the state of California, as reported by The New York Times.
His Last Breaths
Last year, a court ordered the release of video evidence of the event after the Bronstein family filed a federal complaint claiming excessive force and a violation of civil rights.
In the video, as described by USA Today, several cops can be seen throwing a tied Bronstein to a mat as he yells, "I'll do it willingly! I'll do it willingly, I promise!" Relatives said that Bronstein's first resistance to the CHP's attempts to collect a blood sample stemmed from his fear of needles.
On camera, Bronstein can be heard asking for aid while being held down by a group of six cops. In their complaint, Bronstein's family claimed the police officers had kneed him in the back.
A panicked "I can't breathe!" and "I can't!" came out of Bronstein's mouth. An officer tells him to just relax and stop resisting.
The footage shows what seems to be Bronstein losing consciousness while the cops hold him down, with his voice gradually getting quieter and then silent. A nurse is seen extracting blood from Bronstein, who is unconscious, while police continue to hold him down.
The policemen can be seen on camera slapping Bronstein's face, trying to wake him up.
They started CPR over 11 minutes after he was last heard screaming. The doctors proclaimed Bronstein dead after he never recovered consciousness.
The coroner for Los Angeles County determined that Bronstein died from "acute methamphetamine intoxication during restraint by law enforcement."
