In 2018 Christopher Eisinger, a 37 year old African American, was detained by police officers on a small porch area after he attempted to flee from the police. He was pinned down on the ground by three police officers who used their knees and body weight on his back, neck and head.
Eisinger suffocated and died. On May 1st 2021, 3 years after the police brutal incident the family of the Black man was awarded $2.27 million by a jury in California. The jury determined that unnecessary force was used by the police used in handling the victim.
According to the report submitted by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, at the time of the incident, the officers were responding to a report of a vehicle burglary in the area. When they reached the scene an officer noticed Eisinger opening the side gate of a home sometime after midnight on March 2, 2018.
Eisinger, who had a previous history of drug use and mental illness attempted to flee from the police, but they chased him and pinned him to the ground. In less than five minutes Eisinger was unconscious, and days later he was declared dead. As per the autopsy report, cardiac arrest was stated as his cause of death.
The officers were cleared of any wrongdoing by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office however, Eisinger’s parents decided to sue the city of Anaheim for wrongful death and negligence. The family of Eisinger had compared his death to the death of George Floyd who was killed in a similar encounter in 2020 in Minneapolis.
After 3 years, the jury decided in favor of the Eisinger family and concluded that the officers’ use of force resulted in his death.
The city continues to defend the officer arguing that Eisinger struggled with officers and that the officers used only reasonable force to restrain him. They said that the officers acted responsibly and did not use excessive force to handle the victim.
In recent months incidents of police brutality in the U.S. have been garnering attention all across the world. But this is not new for the state of California. Over the years the state has witnessed several incidents and cases of police brutality and other forms of police abuse.
POLICE BRUTALITY IS A REALITY
It is the duty of police officers to protect and serve the public, they should not abuse their power to assault and kill individuals. Whether a person is suspected of committing a crime, the use of lethal force is not justified. Unfortunately, when an on duty officer or Highway Patrol trooper is responsible for someone’s death or causing devastating injuries, our criminal justice system generally fails to punish and hold the officers liable.
That is why our team of experienced lawyers at Khashan Law pursues such cases in civil courts to fight for justice.We stand in solidarity with all the victims of excessive force and police brutality. A lawyer who is experienced in fighting cases of police brutality and abuse can help the victim and their families fight back against injustice and protect their
constitutional human rights.
Though there is no way to undo the trauma and distress suffered, it is important that you get justice and receive compensation for the losses suffered. If you or your family member has been a victim of police brutality or abuse, contact us today at (951) 461-2387. Let us get together and fight the injustice and help stop future police brutality and police misconduct cases.