LOS ANGELES (KNX) –The family of a man who died while in custody of California Highway Patrol in 2020 is asking Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón's office to investigate and file criminal charges.
Edward Bronstein died Mar. 30, 2020 when he was restrained by California Highway Patrol Officers at the Altadena Station. Officers were trying to get a blood sample from him after he had been arrested for allegedly driving under the influence and wanted to check to see if there were drugs in his system.
The family already filed a wrongful death and civil rights lawsuit against CHP.
Video released by the family’s attorneys showed Bronstein being put on the ground by officers after being handcuffed.
Attorney Michael Carillo said the video serves as compelling evidence that manslaughter charges should be filed against the officers.
In the video- which was shot using a digital camera by one of the officers- Bronstein asks the officers, “What the h*ll is so f***ing important about my blood?,” to which the officer filming the arrest responds, “It’s a court order.”
Bronstein continues to question why the officers need his blood. At one point, the officer tells him, “You’re bringing the fight to this, not us.”
At one point, an officer pins Bronstein to the ground on his stomach as half a dozen officers join in to hold him down. One officer appears to have his knee on Bronstein’s neck, as Bronstein screams, “I’ll do anything! I’ll do it! I’ll do it!”
Bronstein also screams, “Let me breathe! I can’t breathe” as officers tell him to stop moving.
They hold him down as his blood is drawn. Eventually, there’s silence from Bronstein. The officers tell him to wake up. They go to check his pulse and try to shake him.
Officers are seen holding Bronstein up as they continue to try to wake him up.
Carillo said Tuesday that the video shows the officers involved had a lack of concern for Bronstein.
“They do all these steps to take his blood. They find him unresponsive, but even they don’t do CPR or an AED to try and shock his body,” he said. “They flipped him over nine minutes later and [found] he’s not breathing and they don’t have a pulse, they still don’t do CPR.”
An autopsy report by the corner revealed Bronstein had meth in his system. The report also revealed Bronstein had blunt trauma in the neck and chest, as well as his hands, wrists and lower legs. The lawyers believe these actions constitute manslaughter.
Briana Palomino, Bronstein’s daughter, said she feels that the officers did not make any effort to save her father’s life.
“He at least deserved a chance to have CPR done,” she said. “To be treated like a human.”
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