LOS ANGELES (Washington Insider Magazine) – The family of a California man has filed a lawsuit over his in-custody death in 2020 demanded charges against the officials on Tuesday, and revealed footage of the man repeatedly saying “I can’t breathe.”
According to the family’s attorneys and court filings, Edward Bronstein, 38, died on Mar 31, 2020, when the California Highway Patrol attempted to obtain a blood sample during a traffic stop for reportedly driving while under the influence.
According to NBC NEWS, the family has filed a wrongful death suit, and they also demand LA County District Attorney George Gascón to press criminal prosecution against the cops.
Bronstein being told that there is a judicial order for a blood test before 5 policemen pin him down at a CHP garage in Altadena, in the Los Angeles region, in footage unsealed by a federal court and exhibited at a media briefing Tuesday.
Bronstein, who is restrained, is overheard questioning why blood is being drawn. Officers informed him that the draw is a judicial order and that if he refuses, he will be detained.
As cops move in to detain him, he claims he is willing to do so and is warned to stay calm and that it is too late, according to the footage. Bronstein yells and cries again, “I can’t breathe,” before going silent.
The case is still being looked into, according to a representative for the district attorney’s office.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department refused to comment, citing ongoing proceedings.
The event in the garage and Bronstein’s death occurred around 2 months prior George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis by a police officer who kneeled on his neck in a widely condemned homicide.
The footage in Bronstein’s case did not clearly show when the cops used their knee to restrain Bronstein, who was handcuffed and lying face down.
According to internet records and court pleadings filed by the state contesting the publication of the footage at this time, Bronstein’s official cause of death was “acute methamphetamine intoxication while restrained by law enforcement” and the method of death was “unknown.”
Since the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office was still investigating, state attorneys argued against revealing the now-unsealed footage. According to court filings, it recently requested a stay pending an appeal.
Officers begin shaking Bronstein roughly 2 minutes after he becomes silent and unresponsive, one saying, “wake up,” and they are directed to check for a pulse, according to the footage revealed Tuesday.
Bronstein is handcuffed and laid face down. He seems to draw many deep breaths but does not speak or move, and no policeman appears to be there on his back. The footage indicates that when cops seat him up, he did not hold his head up.
The video purports to show that he does not respond to his name, that the handcuffs are removed, that he is laid on his back, and that a device to test his pulse is placed on a finger.
The police allegedly used unnecessary force and failed to seek medical help in a timely manner, according to the wrongful death suit.
In court documents, lawyers for the CHP and the officers disputed any unconstitutional or any other sorts of wrongdoing, claiming that they were fulfilling their official responsibilities impartially and honestly.
