The City of San Diego has settled for $800,000 in a suit with the family of José Alfredo Castro Gutiérrez, a Mexican national shot and killed by city police during a mental health crisis, as reported by NBC San Diego. The incident, which took place on October 19, 2020, in the Mountain View neighborhood, ended with Castro Gutiérrez being fatally shot as he held a metal rod, prompting his family's wrongful death lawsuit claiming unnecessary force by the responding officer.
According to the family's attorney Eugene Iredale, as quoted by NBC San Diego, "Alfredo's death was entirely avoidable" and criticism was leveled about the handling of the situation claiming police were improperly trained in crisis intervention, the settlement marks a close to over three years of litigation. Gutiérrez's widow, Ana Ojeda, expressed the family's devastation in a statement, "The tragic loss of Alfredo, my husband, darkened my life and that of our family's," she called for reform in police training specifically citing the urgency in training officers in crisis intervention to prevent similar occurrences.
The Mexican Consulate in San Diego has closely monitored the case, ensuring that the investigation into Gutiérrez's death was conducted impartially. Consul General Carlos González Gutiérrez, in a statement obtained by the consulate's official site, remarked that they hope the tragic incident will establish a precedent against the unwarranted use of police force and spark necessary reforms to avert similar tragedies.
The substantial settlement has been seen as an acknowledgment by the city of the gravity of the case and the need for accountability, the city has yet to make public comments on any changes to police training in light of the incident. The Mexican government reiterates its commitment to protecting its nationals abroad, asserting the importance of due process in all such cases, with the Consulate General of Mexico in San Diego placing high priority on the assistance and protection of Mexicans worldwide.
