Casino Sued Over Use of Excessive Force After Suffocating Patron

The family of a man who was suffocated to death by casino security has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the casino alleging that they used excessive force when attempting to subdue the victim. A California jury heard opening statements this past week as attorneys for the victim set out their claims against Bicycle Casino in Bell Gardens for a 2022 incident where private security allegedly held the decedent facedown on the asphalt pavement while hogtied with a large security guard placing a knee on his back.

The casino argues that the decedent died from methamphetamine use. They further argue that he was behaving erratically and posed a danger to others. The plaintiffs, however, contend that he was suffering from a mental health crisis and that the situation could have been de-escalated without the use of excessive and deadly force.

The plaintiffs contend that while the decedent was at the baccarat table, he began hearing voices and talking to himself. This prompted casino staff to order him to leave. The decedent left $3,800 at the table and exited the casino to the parking lot where he expressed a desire to get into his car and leave. The defense maintains that he continued to try to evade security and run around the lot. The decedent’s attorneys stressed that he died only three minutes after he was eventually tackled and hogtied while a large security guard placed a knee on his back.

The plaintiff’s attorneys warned jurors that they would have to watch graphic surveillance video footage of the incident. The plaintiff’s attorneys stressed that the amount of force used was grossly out of proportion for a single, restrained, unarmed individual with police on their way to the scene. They asked jurors to award the family $132 million, citing $1 million for every second he allegedly suffocated while restrained.

The defense rejected the claim that the victim was ever hogtied and flatly denied that the victim claimed he couldn’t breathe while being restrained. The defense cautioned jurors not to be emotionally swayed by the dramatic nature of the events in question and instead focus on the sworn testimony of guards involved in the incident and the autopsy reports. The defense said that the coroner would testify that the sole cause of the decedent’s death was methamphetamine toxicity and that the physical restraint of the decedent played a scant role in his death.

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Venardi Zurada represents the interests of Oakland residents who have been injured due to negligence. We also represent the interests of grieving families who have lost loved ones to acts of negligence or violence. Call our Oakland personal injury lawyers today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin discussing how you could recover damages related to lost wages, medical expenses, and reduced quality of life.

Source:

blog.cvn.com/132m-wrongful-death-trial-over-casino-securitys-allegedly-excessive-force-begins-watch-via-cvn