Fernando Rodriguez
Fernando Octavio Rodriguez, 24, died while in custody in Hampton, Georgia. Rodriguez was walking home after an electronic music festival held when officers responding to a 911 report of an unclothed man approached him on Sept. 20, 2019. Video from body cameras shows that he refused to follow the officers’ orders.
After that, officers stunned Rodrigues at least 15 times and pinned him to the ground by kneeling and standing on his back, neck, head, arms, and legs, thereby depriving him of oxygen. Rodriguez was unresponsive when paramedics arrived and he died at a hospital just over 48 hours later.
In May 2021 Rodriguez’s parents have filled a lawsuit against Henry County, the city of Hampton, two county police officers and three city police officers. The lawsuit says the officers violated Rodriguez’s constitutional protections against the use of excessive and unreasonable force and wrongfully caused his death.
In July 2021 was reached a settlement between the family of Rodrigues and the city of Hampton for $3 million. The family’s attorney said that though the suit against the officers is resolved, the family is still working on taking legal action against Henry County, along with two county police officers.
MASS MEDIA ABOUT THE CASE:
Medical team of the hospital where Rodriguez was taken noted he was “suffering from respiratory failure, renal failure, anoxic brain injury, cardiac arrest and acute blood loss anemia.”
“During Fernando’s arrest, he was in extreme pain and suffering, both physically and mentally, having been tasered multiple times by the Defendant Officers and unable to breathe due to the Defendant Officers’ actions,” attoerney Page Pate said.
CASE STATUS:
The initiative group has requested the clarification from US President Joseph Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland. The initiative group believes it is important to fight against police brutality and, if necessary, will provide legal and financial assistance to the family of the victim.
Letter to Biden
Letter to Garland
