By Julia Sherwin 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…
Carl Edwards was on his own front porch, working on a fence, minding his own business, when Vallejo Police Officer Spencer Muniz-Bottomley attacked him. Two other officers and a sergeant joined in, choking and beating Carl for several minutes. Officers were looking for someone else who did not fit Carl’s…
We helped our two clients, the children of Humberto (“Beto”) Martinez, settle their claims for their father’s wrongful chokehold death for $7.3 million plus police reforms. This local case involved Pittsburg police officers’ use of a carotid hold and choke hold, and other highly injurious force, on video, while Beto…
This local case involved Pittsburg police officers’ use of a carotid hold and choke hold, and other highly injurious force, on video, while Beto Martinez can be heard saying, “I can’t breathe!” much like the more publicized cases of George Floyd and Eric Garner. On the afternoon of July 26,…
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…
OAKLAND, CA (September 10, 2020) — Civil rights law firm Haddad & Sherwin LLP announced today that they have filed the first claim against the State of California and the CDCR for the COVID-19 death of a San Quentin prisoner stemming from the botched transfer of 121 untested prisoners from…
This was George Floyd’s plea last night to Minneapolis Police Officers as they held him face down, with one knee on his torso and one knee on his neck. News reports show the officers held Mr. Floyd down for over eight minutes, keeping an officer’s knee pressing on his torso…
In a still pending case, a California county and some of its medical providers have agreed to pay $5.1 million to the widow and son of a mentally ill man who died in jail while awaiting transfer to a state hospital.  The man who died had cared for his family…