Lawsuit Settlement in the Taser-Killing of Edmund Gutierrez

Edmund "Bubba" Gutierrez was an unarmed 22-year old man killed by the excessive taser use of Imperial (CA) police officers on July 5, 2010. His death was ruled a homicide ... but, no criminal charges were brought against Imperial police Officer Eric Granado and now-retired Officer Joe Garibaldi. These were two taser-happy officers that made a traffic stop on Gutierrez ... a stop from which young Edmund didn't survive.

This blog is happy to note that the Gutierrez family was able to get justice in civil court. The family and the city of Imperial settled on a payment of $600,000 recently. Edmund Gutierrez Sr., Bubba’s father, and his wife, Lydia made the following statement:

“As parents, we never imagined that the life of our beloved son, Bubba, would be taken by those sworn to protect him. The sole purpose of the initiation of this lawsuit for his wrongful death and the resolution of our claims for his wrongful death was to demonstrate to those police officers who were the instruments of his death, and to a city government complicit in that death, the full measure of the consequences for the refusal to recognize, acknowledge and address the issue of abuse of power and authority by some members of the city of Imperial law enforcement community.

“We pray that the affirmation of the city’s blame and its substantial cost will encourage the residents and the officials of the city of Imperial to more closely and critically examine the conduct of those empowered by them to enforce the law,” the statement continued.

All communities need to take a close look at their taser policies so that fewer unarmed young men are killed.

Taser Autopsy: Coroner Rules that Death of Edmund Gutierrez is 'Homicide'

Edmund Gutierrez will never celebrate his 23rd birthday.  He died on July 5th after a violent struggle with Imperial (CA) police officers.  The autopsy report labels Gutierrez's death as a homicide.  The question that needs to be answered by the local district attorney is whether this homicide will lead to criminal charges against the unidentified Imperial police officer who pulled the trigger.

The autopsy report says the cause of death was “agitated behavior associated with alcohol and marijuana intake needing restraint and other unknown factors.”  The report also details significant blunt force trauma to Gutierrez. It mentions multiple abrasions and contusions to Gutierrez’s face, mouth, abdomen, back, arms and legs.

The report also reveals that there were eleven marks consistent with police baton marks on Gutierrez’s legs.

The police are quick to point out that had a blood alcohol level of 0.16, which is twice the legal limit. The toxicology report also showed that Gutierrez had marijuana in his system.

Friends and family continue to seek justice for Gutierrez. They are upset about the lack of journalistic reporting on his death.   They hope that the release of this autopsy report will bring them closer to justice and truth.   You can learn more on the Justice for Gutierrez Facebook page.