Family of Deceased Gamer Accuses California Casino of Wrongful Death
A fatal incident commenced this week, with charges that security personnel from a California casino overpowered and asphyxiated an individual who had been gambling in baccarat mere minutes prior.
The legal team of the victim's kin, Jonathan Jung's family, accuses the guards at Bell Gardens, Calif.’s Bicycle Casino of pinning him down on a parking lot concrete, with one guard even kneeling on his back, as stated in the lawsuit, as covered by Courtroom View Network (CVN).
However, the casino disputes the plaintiff’s account of the 2022 event.
Casino Defends Actions
The casino's legal representatives argued that Jung's demise was due to the use of methamphetamine (meth).
In their opening statements, they insinuated that Jung perished from meth toxicity, stating that the guards were not responsible for the man's passing.
Jung, it was asserted, was behaving strangely and posed a risk to others, according to CVN's summary of defense arguments.
However, the victim's family's legal representatives, attorneys Terrance Jones and Minh Nguyen, contest that Jung was hearing voices and began conversing with himself while at the baccarat table within the casino, the report declared.
The casino staff requested Jung to depart, at which point he proceeded to the parking lot, leaving behind $3,800 on the gaming table.
Approximately three minutes after being restrained and having a knee applied to his back, he perished in the parking lot, according to the plaintiff's attorneys.
Police Involved
The police were notified, and it was claimed that Jung was experiencing emotional distress, the plaintiff's lawyers added. The conflict, the legal team maintained, could have been diffused without the guards employing "excessive, lethal force," according to CVN.
However, the casino's lawyers stated that Jung was running in the parking lot and was evading capture by the trained security personnel. The casino's lawyer, Joshua Bordin-Wosk, denied allegations that Jung was hogtied by the guards and claimed that the man was able to breathe during the entire episode, the report disclosed.
Compensation Sought
The plaintiff's attorneys are petitioning for $132M in reparations for the victim's family. The sum represents $1M for every second Jung was inappropriately restrained, the lawyers detailed.
During the trial, jurors will likely view security footage, examine autopsy reports, and contemplate contrasting statements from witnesses.
The civil court trial is being presided over by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Patrick Madden. The hearing is expected to continue through July 1.
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