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On Tuesday, July 11, 65-year-old army veteran Gregory Gross won $24 million in a police misconduct settlement. The case stemmed from an April 2020 run-in Gross had with authorities in Yuba City, California. According to Newsweek, Gregory Gross was bodyslammed by police officers during a traffic stop. The incident reportedly left him paralyzed. Gross told officials that, in the wake of the incident, he was unable to walk or take care of himself.
Trigger warning: This article concerns a police brutality case, the reader's discretion is advised
At the time of the initial April 2020 incident, officers accused the army veteran of drunk driving and causing a slow speed collision. After the confrontation with officers, he was left with a broken neck, and had to undergo two surgeries to fuse his spine. Gregory Gross first attempted to sue the Yuba City police department in 2022.
The significance of the lawsuit filed by Gregory Gross
As per the Associated Press, the $24 million lawsuit filed by Gross is one of the largest police misconduct settlements in California history. Due to the brutal nature of the incident, Yuba City officials have agreed that they will carry out audits on police officers bodycams.
At a news conference, Yuba City Police Chief Brian Baker commented on the allegations.
Baker said:
“You’ve been in my thoughts since this tragedy was brought to my attention. On April 12th, 2020, we missed the mark. And for that, Mr. Gross, I’m sorry.”
Gross expressed his satisfaction with the settlement.
He said:
“I’m glad that they did something and took it serious. I couldn’t understand how someone could be in a position of authority and was acting like that and treating another human being like that.”
As reported by the NZ Herald, Gregory Gross also filed a lawsuit against Rideout Memorial Hospital in Marysville, the University of California, Davis, Medical Center, as well as other medical workers. While Gross has not publicly confirmed the nature of these settlements, he said that his paralysis was caused by the misconduct of both police officers and medical personell.
While police officers supposedly injured him by slamming him, Gross said that the inadequate care from medical professionals led to the exacerbation of his conditions. Gross claimed that after he arrived at the hospital, medical officials did not believe him when he said he couldn't walk. As a result, they handled him roughly and left him in a seated position without safely restraining his spine.
Joshua Jackson, the former Yuba City police officer who has been held responsible for injuring Gross, has not served with the police department since February, 2021. The current status of the former law enforcement officer remains unknown.
