Chokehold Death Lawsuit Settled For $6.5M

Introduction

A wrongful death lawsuit involving a now-former police officer who is facing a murder charge for choking a man to death settled for $6.5 million.

According to the lawsuit, in February, a 40-year old chokehold death victim fought and fled from a traffic stop when officers, who had a warrant for his arrest for a parole violation, tried to detain him. A then-Las Cruces Officer applied a chokehold after a chase, which resulted in the man's death.

The asphyxial injuries from the chokehold and the presence of methamphetamine in the man's body contributed to the death as per the state medical investigator. Following the incident, the officer was fired and is now facing a second-degree murder charge.

In August, the City of Las Cruces agreed to pay $6.5 million to the family as a part of the settlement. Along with the cash payout, other parts of the lawsuit agreement include the city to adopt racial bias training for police and requires officers to intervene in possible excessive force episodes.

Under the agreement, Las Cruces police agreed to ban all chokeholds and fire and will adopt a warning system involving officers who use excessive force and forge a policy so officers can undergo yearly mental health exams.

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