Angelo Quinto, a Filipino-American California resident, was reported unconscious under police custody on December 23, 2020. The Quinto family is now seeking legal justice for the death of their son.
According to Quinto's family, he was reported to be physically restrained and asphyxiated by the police during one of his mental episodes.
The family stated that the police were called in hopes to assist Quinto and relieve tension. However, according to the family's lawyer, John Burris, the Antioch Police Force made no attempts to understand the situation, immediately grabbed Quinto from his mother's arms, and began using, what is now infamously known as, the "George Floyd" technique -- a term coined from George Floyd's death wherein his breathing was restricted due to the officer placing his knee on Floyd's back and side of the neck.
Burris added that the authorities ignored Quinto's pleas not to kill him until he lost consciousness, then dying in the hospital three days letter.
According to Contra Costa County District Attorney, the cause of Quinto's death is still under investigation. However, the family has proceeded in filing their legal suit, arguing that their son died because of the police.
Meanwhile, Antioch Mayor, Lamar Thorpe, has acknowledged the death of the resident as in police custody and has announced his plans to reform the police department, making mental health its focal point.
He stated that doing this, it will give the department the tools necessary to do their job safely and respectfully, “Today I’m announcing a series of police reform measures as a major first step towards building a police department that every segment of our community can trust.”
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