SAN JOSE, Calif. — A federal jury awarded $21 million to the family of a pregnant teen who was shot and killed by undercover police officers in Northern California five years ago, attorneys said.
Elena Mondragon was a passenger in a BMW pulling out of a Hayward apartment complex when an unmarked van filled with Fremont police officers tried to cut it off in March 2017, according to a complaint filed by the teen’s family. At the time, Fremont police said the BMW’s driver, who was apparently wanted by police, had rammed the car into the van.
Police opened fire and fatally wounded Mondragon, who was a passenger. She was 16 and in her first trimester of pregnancy.
A vigil for Elena Mondragon in 2018. NBC Bay Area
Her family’s civil rights and wrongful death complaint described the killing as “a botched covert arrest operation,” the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
The jury’s decision on Friday was “a tremendous verdict for the family,” said plaintiffs’ attorney John Burris.
Burris said the jury decided to split culpability between the man driving the car and the officers, so that the city of Fremont will likely supply about $10 million of the award.
Fremont officials did not immediately comment on the jury’s decision.
In 2018, the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office concluded that the fatal police shooting was justified.
nowhereman136 on June 26th, 2022 at 21:43 UTC »
With rulings and settlements in the millions, you'd think police would be more careful with how they behave. Aren't there any higher ups who see this as a $21m mistake and need to tell their officers not to cost the department any more money. Ignoring the tragic loss of life, if I cost my company $21m, not only am I getting fired, the company is gonna implement new rules so that other employees can't be as dumb as me
Edit: higher ups, as in people who control the police budget. Politicians and city officials. People with the power and incentive to change things. If I control the city budget and have to set millions of dollars aside for police screw ups, I'm gonna insist on better police management.
500CatsTypingStuff on June 26th, 2022 at 21:04 UTC »
No word on whether the cops were fired. I’m sure nothing happened to them.
GreunLight on June 26th, 2022 at 20:45 UTC »
From the article:
More at link.