Traffic Stop Did Not Cause Death in Citrus Heights
I proudly help families who have lost a loved one due to another’s negligence. Wrongful death lawsuits help plaintiffs find financial help during times of crisis, which can help the family cover funeral expenses, medical bills, and lost wages. Wrongful death lawsuits are an important part of our justice system in California.
In August 2012, an 18-year-old was shot, then rushed to the hospital not by emergency responders, but by a friend. The friend was pulled over for speeding and running red lights, and unfortunately, the teenage gunshot victim died.
The victim was Jacob Moses Green, who was celebrating his 18th birthday. After his death, his parents, Donna Green and Nelson Decuire filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Sacramento County. They believed that if officers had not stopped the rushing vehicle for so long, or delayed an ambulance from taking their son to the hospital for several minutes, then the young man would still be alive.
However, on Monday, February 1st, a Federal Judge found that the officers were in the right to stop the vehicle, and did add to the victim’s suffering. The Judge’s summary judgment stated that officers held the car for roughly four minutes until an ambulance arrived at the scene, and then about ten minutes passed until the ambulance took Green to the hospital. The Judge cited reports that medical personnel on the scene found that Green had no pulse, was not breathing, and his pupils were dilated. He arrived dead at the hospital, in spite of medical intervention on the way.
Police reports regarding the shooting incident in 2012 show that Green was celebrating his birthday when he arrived at a home where his girlfriend was staying for the night and got into a confrontation with a man who lived in the house. The man shot Green in the abdomen, then called the police. While the man called police, Green’s friends quickly put him in one of their cars, and sped away at 80 miles per hour down residential and city streets, trying to get their friend to the hospital in time.
The wrongful death lawsuit hinged on whether or not police officers knew that Green was in the speeding vehicle, and if their traffic stop contributed to Green’s death. Police communications over radio seemed confused about who the driver was, and whether or not Green was actually in the vehicle, or still at the house.
The attorney for Green’s parents stated that, based on their radio communication, officers clearly knew that Green was in the vehicle, but they stopped it anyway, and their delay contributed to Green’s passing. Judge Nunley, however, disagreed with the plaintiffs’ claim, and believed, based on video and auditory evidence, those police officers did not delay unjustly to contribute to Green’s death.
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