The death of navy veteran Angelo Quinto was ruled as an accident during a coroner's inquest on Friday.
In a Martinez courtroom on Aug. 20, an inquest jury found that Angelo Quinto’s death was accidental after a medical pathologist testified that Quinto died from "excited delirium."
Just a few nights before Christmas last year, Antioch officers were called to Quinto’s family home as he was having a mental health crisis.
The navy veteran died after officers knelt on his neck for more than six minutes while he was handcuffed, facedown on the floor.
"Excited delirium really was bogus in my point of view. There’s no factual basis to support that," said Civil Rights Attorney John Burass.
Burass is representing Quinto’s family in a civil lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California, alleging that Quinto’s civil rights were violated by the officers.
The American Medical Association, who has come out in opposition of the cause of death ruling, said "excited delirium" is often used as a justification of excessive use of force by police.
"Going into this process, we’ve talked to enough people to know that under this sheriff and this coroner you can expect the outcome," said Quinto’s stepfather Robert Collins. "But, we were somehow hopeful that truth would prevail."
He said his hope is now turned towards the civil trial over the death.
This inquest does not hold any bearing on civil or criminal charges, it only solidifies the official cause of death.
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