California Settles for $31.5 Million in Police Custody Deaths

California has agreed to pay $24 million to the family of Edward Bronstein, who died in police custody in March 2020 after repeatedly yelling, “I can’t breathe,” while an officer knelt on his back. The settlement is among the largest of its kind, and Vital Medical Services will also be required to pay a portion of the $24 million. Involuntary manslaughter charges have been filed against seven highway patrol officers and one nurse linked to the case, who have pleaded not guilty. The incident prompted the highway patrol to change its policies to prevent officers “from using techniques or transport methods that involve a substantial risk of positional asphyxia.”