A UC San Diego student just got $4.1 million settlement from the feds after they majorly effed up. What had happened was he was arrested by the DEA after he was in the wrong place at the wrong time (he wasn't a suspect, no charges were planned to be or actually filed against him, he was just at his friends house when it was raided). The DEA locked him up and then forgot he was there. Left him there for 4 days. He drank his own urine, hallucinated, and wrote a goodbye note to his mommy in his blood. Sad face.
JJC Thinks:
1) I haven't gone 4 days without food or water but I am surprised he had to resort to drinking his own urine that quickly;
2) Obviously this is a terrible accident and we should expect more from the feds;
3) $4.1 million is a little more than I think the case is worth. The going rate when the police murder an unarmed person of color in Oakland is between $0 (see e.g. Derrick Jones) to $650k (see e.g. Mack Jody Woodfox) to $1.5 million (See, e.g. Gary King, Jr.) to $1.7 million (see e.g. Jerry Amaro III). This kid survived. Traumatized, sure. Spent a week in the hospital, terrible. But the kid is alive. On the flipside, maybe Oakland law enforcement should start paying more for murdering people. Forgotten in a cell for 4 days? $4.1 million. Gunned down by the police? More than $4.1 million.
VERDICT: Feds, try not to forget about people you lock up! Oakland Law enforcement stop killing people!
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