General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWoman beaten unconscious by Calif. deputies as kids watched wins $17M
Woman beaten unconscious by Calif. deputies as kids watched wins $17M
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/woman-beaten-unconscious-california-settlement-21076472.php
On the night of Aug. 6 2020, Porter and her father, Joe Berry Powell, were driving from Oakland to Sacramento with Porters two daughters, ages 3 and 4, and her niece, 6, when they pulled over in Dixon to switch seats. As Porter and her father made the change, two Solano County sheriffs deputies, one male and the other female, approached the family, the complaint said.
Deputies later said they approached the car because of a mismatched license plate. However, the complaint noted that the rear plate, which displayed the state of Maryland, had already been checked and confirmed as matching the vehicle, and there were no reports of the car having been stolen. Porter had recently moved to California and had yet to change her registration.
In the complaint, Almadani argued deputies forced Porter away from the patrol cars dash camera and beat her, striking her in the head, neck, back and stomach. Before the blows led her to collapse unconscious, Porter allegedly cried out, God, bless me! Bless me, God! She remained unconscious for more than five minutes, which her lawyers argued was consistent with a severe, Grade III concussion.
Deputies booked Porter into Solano County Jail overnight based on reports that she had slipped the cuff and punched the male deputy. In her deposition, the female deputy acknowledged that her only basis for saying that Porter had struck the male deputy was that he had told her after the fact. The district attorney later declined to file charges against Porter.
Almadani noted that body camera footage played a pivotal role in exposing what happened.

MrWowWow
(1,461 posts)Last edited Wed Oct 1, 2025, 02:15 AM - Edit history (1)
Enjoy your $17M Mrs. Porter.
JI7
(92,771 posts)irisblue
(36,229 posts)"Additional agreements were placed under seal in May 2025, Porters attorney, Yasin Almadani, told SFGATE. The county did not admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement. There was no admission of liability, he said."
So not a damn thing apparently.
Deuxcents
(24,353 posts)Actually, she should have gotten more, imo. So much more that the taxpayers demand the cops be fired, at least.
Oeditpus Rex
(42,905 posts)This will not cost Solano County taxpayers $17 million. Every municipality, county and state carries an insurance policy of sorts to cover the costs of lawsuits and other liabilities.
The premium for a policy may go up as a result of a substantial payout, but that amount would be nowhere near the additional tax on $17 million ÷ number of county taxpayers.
lapfog_1
(31,309 posts)The insurance company does not lose money ( not if they want to stay in business ). That means that they spread the risk ( the premiums you mention ) to ALL of the cities and counties that they cover. Those premiums are paid by tax payers ( you and me ), to cover the "losses" by such policies.
Ultimately, my property tax and ( in California ) some of my income tax, paid for the policy carried by MY country and city, quite likely covered by the same insurance ( or similar insurance ) company. Those companies will raise their rates they charge the various cities and counties that are covered because of settlements like this one. The settlement is proper ( and maybe should be more ), but the NEED for the settlement ( out of control asshole police officers ) are the real problem. One we have not addressed.
End result, this money comes from all tax payers everywhere, but likely especially in California in this situation. Just to keep some asshole on the police force who decided ( for whatever reason ) that this mother of 2 did not properly "respect ma authority" ( as Cartman would say ).
Oeditpus Rex
(42,905 posts)to what you said?
lapfog_1
(31,309 posts)with the explanation that "insurance covers it".
My clarification is that all taxpayers are, in fact, paying for the acts of these 2 police POS... while at the same time paying for settlements of other police POS around the country.
So long as we keep hiring thugs and bullies as police officers and then militarize them, we tax payers are going to keep covering the costs of their power mad activities ( assaults, murders, illegal detentions, often accompanied by perjury ).
Gone are the days ( if they ever existed ) of Andy Taylor of Mayberry N.C.
That said, even I ( an older white guy, thus privileged in this society ) fear the police instead of wanting the police nearby. They literally do not make me feel "safe". I can't imagine how it is for a person of color.
Oeditpus Rex
(42,905 posts)And you damned well know it.
Misrepresentation and disingenuity are cheap strategies to win an argument.
By your way, everyone who pays taxes in Solano County would pay an extra $100 to cover the $17 million settlement, assuming for the sake of simple math there're 170,000 people who pay taxes to the county. It doesn't work that way.
Old Crank
(6,299 posts)It won't cost the city the full 17 mil.
But they are likely to have a multimillion dollar deductible. So there will be some immediate cost.
The insurance company will raise rates. They may also require some better training of officers to keep rates lower. That will also cost them.
It really gets complicated.
ProfessorGAC
(74,761 posts)...we can easily envision 10% which still leaves a pretty big hole in the local budget.
Then, into the future, higher premiums.
This will definitely impact the citizens whether through higher taxes or reduced services.
The money has to come from somewhere.
If your "multimillion" is right, that makes it worse.
BlueWaveNeverEnd
(11,635 posts)The Vallejo Sun, an independent news outlet, reported that one of the deputies who arrested Porter and was named in the lawsuit, Lisa McDowell, had since been promoted to sergeant.
Another officer, Dalton McCampbell, was named as defendant in a previous excessive force lawsuit, which settled for $14,700, the Vallejo Sun reported.
McCampbell subsequently shot and killed a man in Fairfield in 2023, the Vallejo Sun reported.
California woman knocked unconscious during arrest reaches $17m settlement | California | The Guardian https://share.google/JP6IdFYoIhW2t3asE
irisblue
(36,229 posts)Bread and Circuses
(1,261 posts)Oeditpus Rex
(42,905 posts)as Republicans?
Bread and Circuses
(1,261 posts)The woman had stopped in Dixon, which is a small town that has always been a Republican stronghold.
Overall, the county is purple . Dems do win a lot of elections.
BUT, lately that entire area has become more Trumpified. Many signs on the rural roads for Trump. Pickup trucks with Trump flags, etc.
Travis Air Force is there and there is a huge retirement community around Fairfield.
Its been changing .
Oeditpus Rex
(42,905 posts)so I've been there many times. I've seen no evidence of it going right-wing, and you should know as well as anyone here that Drumpfians festoon their homes, vehicles et cetera with their misguided bullshit. Anyway, the voter registration numbers tell that story.
Crunchy Frog
(28,099 posts)That's probably the only thing that would bring about real change.
Oeditpus Rex
(42,905 posts)SunImp
(2,542 posts)Be Leave On
(347 posts)We need a system overhaul. It is broken by design.
https://thenewpress.org/books/usual-cruelty/?v=eb65bcceaa5f