WRONGFUL DEATH: THE TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES OF A POLICE ENCOUNTER
- Jud Richland
- Jan 15, 2024
- 1 min read
A California woman whose son was paralyzed and then died as a result of an encounter with police is now suing the Stanislaus County (CA) Sheriff’s Department. Forty-year old Anthony Silva died in September 2023 after a year-long struggle with severe injuries, including a broken neck and back, and collapsed lungs. In the October 8, 2022, incident, which has sparked public outrage, Silva was handcuffed and forcefully taken down headfirst to the ground. It’s not clear from the body camera video why police were arresting Silva.
Silva’s family recently obtained the body camera footage that shows the disturbing moments leading to Silva's paralysis and wrongful death. Despite his repeated pleas for help and stating his inability to move, the officers involved dismissed his complaints. This treatment continued for about 30 minutes until medical personnel arrived.
The lawsuit filed by Silva’s mother, Dorothy Heimbach, highlights the severity of the police actions and the subsequent impact on Silva's health. The Stanislaus Sheriff’s Department, adhering to its policy regarding ongoing civil litigation, has refrained from public comment on the matter.
The case raises critical questions about police conduct and accountability, including the legal implications of excessive force and indifference to serious medical needs.
Did they ever state why they jumped him and put handcuffs on him? I did hear the part that they wanted him to leave the park, which he was DOING.
Then, instead of just allowing him to continue walking and leaving one jumps on him, handcuffing.
Then the torture starts. He was slammed headfirst into cement then carelessly mishandled. When he says he cant feel his legs, he's in pain. And how do these evil goons handle it? They cruelly mock him, tell him he is lying. All while mishandling and further HARMING him.
Why aren't these officers in prison? Why was there no INVESTIGATION?
Simple. The police agencies wanted to pretend they weren't guilty, act as if it didn'…
Police brutality is getting worse. When is this going to stop? Anthony did not deserve any of what happened to him. He was not aggressive or violent in anyway! Given the fact the police were ignorant to his pleas of pain, his demands for help, and generally ignorant towards him at all the fact they failed to notice a change in his demeanor only proves that the police are incompetent of their job. They all should be fired, and given very long jail sentences for taking away the life of this man. They threw him to the floor where he was unable to protect himself from the harsh blow to his head which lead to his injuries and death.
I…
I can’t believe how incredibly stupid these LEOs are; if it’s not stupidity then it is outright cruelty. There had to be a point in time where, after their taunts, insults and mockery, they had to realize that he’s not faking it but is injured SEVERELY and yet, not one of these “heroes”, these guys who are paid “to serve and to protect “ acted with haste and concern.
The entire video should be used by every county in America when training new LEOs
RIP Anthony! Until police are held accountable for killing the non-violent suspects they encounter (the dude was handcuffed and just started getting noisy), I don't expect the public discourse to change anytime soon. So sad that we still have a "protected class" based on qualifications that take a minimum of 6 months and an associates degree on average. I can't bear to watch the video again. The impact, the neglect, the lack of justice. My heart goes out to the family. I couldn't imagine what he felt in those moments. Rest in peace.