LOS ANGELES (KNX) – Seven California High Patrol officers were charged in connection to the death of a 38-year-old man, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced.
Dionisio Fiorella, Michael Little, Dustin Osmanson, Darren Parsons, Diego Romero, Justin Silva, and Marciel Terry were each charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter and one count of assault by an officer. Nurse Arbi Baghalian was also charged with involuntary manslaughter.
On Mar. 31, 2020, Edward Bronstein was driving on Interstate 5 in Burbank when he was pulled over. He was taken by officers Osmanson and Terry to a nearby CHP parking lot where an warrant to draw Bronstein’s blood was obtained.
Officials said while Bronstein refused to draw blood, he agreed “to comply as officers pushed him to the ground,” according to a press release.
Six officers reportedly pinned Bronstein to the ground while Baghalian drew blood. Brostein told police multiple times he couldn’t breathe and was kept facedown for six minutes.
Ten minutes later, officers discovered Bronstein was unconscious and attempted CPR. He was later pronounced dead.
Video of the traffic stop was posted on social media
“For the system to work, people must be able to trust law enforcement. Police accountability is critical to building that trust, and it is necessary for public safety,” District Attorney Gascón said. “I promise Mr. Bronstein’s family and our community that I will continue to advocate for stronger accountability in use-of-force cases and an independent review of deaths that occur while in law enforcement custody.”
Arraignment was scheduled for a later date.
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