SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A Northern California man who was left paralyzed after being thrown to the ground during a traffic stop has won a $20 million settlement, one of the largest in state history, authorities announced Tuesday.
Gregory Gross, an Army veteran living in Yuba City, sued the police department in 2022 after cops used “pain compliance” techniques and expressed disbelief when he repeatedly yelled, “I can’t feel my legs.” . Police officers also fired Gross when he said, “I can’t breathe,” while being held face down on the grass outside a hospital, video released by Gross’ lawyers shows.
Gross was charged with driving under the influence and causing a low-speed collision in April 2020.
Gross was left with a broken neck and underwent two surgeries to fuse his spine. He said the officers’ use of force left him unable to walk or care for himself, and now he needs 24-hour nursing care for the rest of his life.
“We are not against the police,” said attorney Moseley Collins, who represents Gross. “We are for the police, but we are against police brutality when it happens.”
The settlement is among one of the largest police misconduct settlements in California history. In May, the state agreed to pay $24 million to the family of a man who died in police custody after screaming, “I can’t breathe,” as officers held him down as they tried to take a blood sample.
As part of the agreement, Yuba City will also begin randomly auditing officers’ body camera footage and reviewing use-of-force incidents, Police Chief Brian Baker said. He apologized to Gross at a news conference on Tuesday.
“You have been in my thoughts ever since this tragedy was brought to my attention,” Baker told Gross. “On April 12, 2020, we missed the mark. And for that, Mr. Gross, I’m sorry.
Gross said police reforms are important to make sure what happened to him is not repeated. He is donating $20,000 to the California Peace Officers Memorial Foundation.
Gross was left with a broken neck and underwent two surgeries to fuse his spine. He said the officers’ use of force left him unable to walk or care for himself, and now he needs 24-hour nursing care for the rest of his life.
“We are not against the police,” said attorney Moseley Collins, who represents Gross. “We are for the police, but we are against police brutality when it happens.”
The settlement is among one of the largest police misconduct settlements in California history. In May, the state agreed to pay $24 million to the family of a man who died in police custody after screaming, “I can’t breathe,” as officers held him down as they tried to take a blood sample.
As part of the agreement, Yuba City will also begin randomly auditing officers’ body camera footage and reviewing use-of-force incidents, Police Chief Brian Baker said. He apologized to Gross at a news conference on Tuesday.
“You have been in my thoughts ever since this tragedy was brought to my attention,” Baker told Gross. “On April 12, 2020, we missed the mark. And for that, Mr. Gross, I’m sorry.
Gross said police reforms are important to make sure what happened to him is not repeated. He is donating $20,000 to the California Peace Officers Memorial Foundation.
In September 2021, Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law a law that prohibited police from using certain prone holds that have led to multiple unintentional deaths. The bill was intended to expand the state’s ban on strangulation in the wake of the murder of George Floyd.
