The City of Santa Monica approved $6 million to settle a pair of years-old lawsuits at its last meeting with half going towards a case stemming from the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests and half to a case involving a car crash caused by a city employee.
In the older of the two cases, Plaintiffs Christina Choi and King Yue Wong allege a city employee, Monique Marrissa Cancino, ran a red light while driving a city vehicle causing a collision at the intersection of Broadway and Cloverfield.
According to the complaint, the plaintiffs were seriously injured in the crash resulting in significant medical bills both immediate and ongoing. They also claim they will suffer disability as a result of the accident.
"As a direct and proximate result of the conduct of the defendants, and each of them, as aforesaid, plaintiffs were prevented from attending to their usual occupation, and Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereupon alleges that she will thereby be prevented from attending to their usual occupation for a period of time in the future, and thereby will also sustain a loss of earning capacity, in addition to lost earnings, past, present and future…" said the claim.
Council first approved a $2.95 million settlement in the case in January and the decision was made public in June. The second settlement was for slightly more money but was also split between two plaintiffs.
A pair of women arrested during the 2020 protests in downtown Santa Monica were awarded a total of $3M at the meeting following accusations they were improperly detained and then seriously injured by a Sheriff’s deputy.
According to the lawsuit, Cheyenne Robinson and Stormy Jane Eny-Edy came to Santa Monica to participate in the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. The two plaintiffs say they were part of peaceful protest along Ocean Ave. and during that time, officials announced everyone had to clear the street by 6pm to meet a shortened curfew. Both women say they tried to comply and leave the area but officers closed every available exit and refused to allow participants to comply with the orders to disperse. Instead, their hands were zip tied and they were transported by bus to a holding area.
During that transit, both women say their restraints were applied incorrectly and were too tight. When it came time to release them, their lawsuit says a Sheriff’s deputy severely injured both women when he cut them with a knife during his efforts to take off the plastic restraints.
"Immediately after Deputy Cornejo violently and wantonly stabbed Ms Eny-Edy with scissors, two officers grabbed her hands and told her that if she did not sign the citation, she would have to go to jail," said the complaint. "Under duress and searing pain, Ms Eny-Edy signed the citation and was not provided any medical care or attention. Instead, PLAINTIFF discovered a public sink to wash her hands. She later went to Urgent Care and has had to endure physical therapy without her hand returning to its ability over a year since the incident."
In the lawsuit, Robinson said she saw the incident before being injured herself.
"When Deputy Cornejo approached Ms Robinson, he told her to turn around and then aggressively and forcefully attempted to cut the zip ties with a knife causing her excruciating pain as she bled profusely," said the complaint. "Ms Robinson was stunned and in disbelief at Deputy Cornejo’s disregard for her serious injury and need for immediate medical attention as he said nothing and continued to cut more zip ties with the same knife. In a state of shock, Ms Robinson looked at her hand, which had been numb from the zip ties, and saw bone and exposed flesh and blood pouring from the gashes."
Robinson said she had to make her own way to the hospital following her release where she received 21 stitches for the wound and the suit says she has never regained full use of her hand.
The women also claim that personal items were lost during their detention by police. According to City Attorney Doug Sloan, Robinson will receive $2.75 million in the settlement and Eny-Edy will receive $250,000.
matt@smdp.com
