LOS ANGELES – The parents of a 31-year-old man who died while jailed in 2017 have reached a tentative settlement with Los Angeles County in their lawsuit alleging their son did not get immediate medical care after being pepper-sprayed by sheriff’s deputies and shot with a stun gun.
Juan Manuel Correa Sr. and Maria A. Correa, the father and mother of Juan Manuel Correa Jr., brought the suit in January 2018 in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging wrongful death, negligence and civil rights violations.
“(Deputies) ignored (Correa Jr.’s) need for immediate medical care and he ultimately died,” the plaintiffs’ court papers alleged.
Their attorney, Michael Carrillo, filed a notice of settlement with Judge Christopher Lui, but no terms were divulged. Carrillo said the tentative settlement is subject to approval by the Board of Supervisors, which must sign off on all settlements above $100,000.
Lawyers for Los Angeles County maintain in their court papers that there was no evidence deputies knew or had reason to know of Correa Jr.’s need for medical care prior to the time that it was provided.
Sheriff’s officials said previously that Correa Jr. had serious mental health issues and was originally housed in the Twin Towers jail because of those problems on Sept. 26, 2017. However, instead of giving Correa immediate mental health treatment, he was transferred to the Men’s Central Jail, the suit alleges.
Deputies said Correa became ill after he was pepper-sprayed by deputies who were trying to break up a fight between Correa and his cellmate in the Men’s Central Jail.
“After an altercation with his cellmate, (Correa Jr.) was negligently and/or intentionally pepper-sprayed by jail staff and immediately thereafter, displayed obvious signs of physical distress,” the plaintiffs’ court papers state.
Correa also was shot with a stun gun, according to the suit, which additionally alleges the deputies were negligent in housing Correa in the Men’s Central Jail and for not getting him medical help fast enough when he began showing signs of distress from the stun gun and the pepper spray.
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Mrs M says
Photos and autopsy findings included
https://da.lacounty.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/JSID_ICD_07_2019_Correa.pdf
Alby says
If they change the reports to a covid incident then they might get extra fundings just like the hospitals do.
Alby says
Alot of these deputies join the force because they are naturally hot headed with aggression and they need someone to take it out on. Perhaps they were molested as a child or they themselves are closeted molesters. Something obviously motivates them to walk around with a stick up their wazoo in desperation of authority. I know jail is meant for the “bad guys” that deserve it. I get it. But, there are also people that do time and dont deserve the treatment that these pig-asses tend to dish out. Most of them get their slate wiped clean through the bureaucratical rollercoasters then they go back to their fun jobs of being pricks again. Sometimes I feel like if I saw a deputy(particularly a Lancaster deputy) eating a fat knuckle-sandwich on the floor, I would probably look the other way in assumption that their bureaucracy will wiggle them out of that situation as well.
Overheard from the next cell says
Alby must know a lot about prison life from personal experience.
He waxes wistful like he’s recalling old romances.
Stun Gun says
Why was he at the Twin Towers in the first place?
Alby says
You’d be suprised the petty reasons why people end up over there. Some dont want to fork out cash for a hefty traffic fine so they choose jail time. A person could get mixed up with violent offenders and walk out of jail with a different mind set then before. I think deputies get a kick out of mixing them up just to see who’s gonna buckle down and who’s got spine. I guess it gets boring in there sometimes.