Before George Floyd's Death Another Man Died Under A Knee In CA

SAN DIEGO, CA — After George Floyd's death, a social justice movement was ignited across the country and in California, sending hundreds of thousands marching through the streets. Months before Floyd said "I can't breathe," a mentally ill man died in California after a transit officer knelt on his neck for six minutes and seven seconds.

Angel Zapata Hernandez, 24, died October 15, 2019 in downtown San Diego after he was handcuffed and taken to the ground near a downtown trolly station by two Metropolitan Transit Service security workers. One of the officers reportedly knelt on his neck and Hernandez died that evening, attorney Eugene Iredale, who represents Hernandez's family, said at a news conference

Recent video footage was released publicly that showed the struggle between officers and Hernandez.

The officer who restrained him has not been charged, but both of the officers involved have since resigned, though MTS said its former employee's resignation was unrelated to the incident.

A $5.5 million settlement was also reached with the family, MTS officials announced. The agency has also revised its use-of-force policies and required more security training since Hernandez's death.

Board Chair Nathan Fletcher said the actions of the officers were "wrong" and that Hernandez's death was "tragic and never should have happened." As part of the settlement, MTS and TSS will pay $5.5 million in compensation to Hernandez's mother, Claudia Hernandez, and both agencies have agreed to make changes to their security policies and training.

"I am gratified that the responsible agencies have resolved this without formal litigation," his mother said in a statement. "While nothing can bring back my son, these changes mean my son’s life contributed to the betterment of society."

Hernandez, who was schizophrenic, reportedly fled from officers after he was spotted near the tracks north of the station.

Drawing parallels to Derek Chauvin's recent conviction trial in the death of Floyd in Minneapolis, Iredale said the officers held Hernandez prone, face-down, and applied pressure to his back and neck, contributing to his death from positional asphyxia. Officers reportedly tried to administer CPR, but he was declared dead at 9:28 p.m.

"Too many times, public agencies defend their actions and their policies. Too many times, public agencies are not forthcoming, they're not transparent, they do not accept responsibility," Fletcher said. "We are not going to do that. We're going to go in a different direction. MTS is holding ourselves accountable for this mistake."

MTS recently changed officer uniforms from traditional law enforcement blue to a bright yellow, officials said. The change is to provide "greater visibility and to reflect the greater emphasis on the ambassador role of its security personnel."

The City News Service contributed to this report.