SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The city of Sacramento has agreed to pay a $4.3 million settlement to the family of a man who died after being restrained by police.
The family of 48-year-old Reggie Payne called 911 for help because Payne was experiencing a medical emergency at their south Sacramento home in February 2020.
Payne died of cardiac arrest after police restrained him facedown in handcuffs in what's known as a prone position.
"It was just unreal," said Payne's mother, Harriet Jefferson.
She says her son was diabetic and needed an IV. Sacramento firefighters initially responded and later called the police after they determined they weren't able to provide treatment.
Officers can be seen on body-worn camera video holding Payne down in what would prove to be a deadly position.
"Unfortunately, I have been training on this very issue for well over a decade," said Ed Obayashi, a law enforcement advisor for police departments across the state. "There is a training gap regarding the appreciation or the understanding of what compressive force, or just sheer body weight can result in, in terms of the serious injuries that result, including death."
For Payne's family, the multi-million dollar settlement was only half of what they were asking for. They wanted an injunction against what they called "improper restraints," like putting someone into a prone position.
"Reggie would want some change to happen and make his life not for naught," Jefferson said.
In a statement, Sacramento Communications Manager Tim Swanson said:
“Every loss of life is tragic, and Reginald Payne’s family has suffered an agonizing loss. While this settlement is not an admission of liability, the City has agreed with the family’s representatives that it is an appropriate resolution of this matter at this time, allowing both parties to avoid the ongoing risk and expense of a trial and to move forward following this heartbreaking event.”
