The La Mesa City Council has settled a case against the police department with protester Leslie Furcron, awarding her $10 million.
Furcron was hit in the head by a bean bag shot by police while participating in a protest on May 30, 2020.
The incident led to her being put in a medically induced coma and losing vision in one eye.
The officer who fired the bean bag gun, Eric Knutson, was found to have not been properly trained on the weapon, which belonged to the San Diego Sheriff’s Office, and the bean bag gun in question went missing during the investigation.
The San Diego DA’s office reviewed the case and found Knutson acted reasonably when he fired the projectile and did not file criminal charges.
The protest started peacefully but turned violent, leading to looting and arson.
Furcron’s attorney says that monetary justice for victims of police misconduct is not enough, and reformative and penal justice is also necessary.
Another protester, Michelle Horton, also received a settlement for being hit with a rubber bullet by police.
