A woman in Northern California, who was knocked unconscious and subsequently arrested by two sheriff’s deputies in August 2020, has reached a $17 million settlement with the county, according to her lawyer’s Monday announcement.
Nakia Porter had earlier lodged a federal lawsuit accusing the Solano County Sheriff’s Office deputies of violating state and federal civil rights statutes. Allegations of “unlawful seizure, assault, and excessive force” were central to the case. Reports indicate that Porter, her father, and her three young children were embarking on a nighttime drive home when they pulled off the road to switch drivers.
Porter, an African American woman, was already outside the car when the deputies arrived, their vehicle lights flashing. Porter attempted to explain that they were merely switching drivers and would promptly resume their journey. This development follows earlier reports that body cameras worn by the deputies allegedly recorded them drawing their firearms on Porter, proceeding to forcefully slam her to the pavement while handcuffing her along a rural road in the town of Dixon. Her father, Joe Powell, was also briefly detained in handcuffs.
Porter spent the night in jail on suspicion of resisting arrest, but no charges were officially filed against her. Her attorney, Yasin Almadani, stated in a news release announcing the settlement that “What happened to Ms. Porter and her family should never happen in our society.”
The Solano County Sheriff’s Department and a spokesperson for the county had not immediately responded to requests for comment. This raises important questions about the transparency of the incident. Furthermore, the lawsuit accuses the deputies of falsifying their arrest reports concerning Porter’s alleged resistance and the duration of her unconsciousness.
Body camera footage reportedly captured Porter’s verbal resistance: “For those that are listening, I am not resisting,” she can be heard stating, followed by, “You are not reading me my rights.” Subsequently, the deputies were recorded pushing Porter against their squad car and then onto the ground while attempting to secure her in handcuffs.
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Porter alleges that the deputies struck her in the head and the abdomen, knelt on her back, and pulled her hair, causing her to lose consciousness seconds after the handcuffs were fastened. Porter, who is 5-foot-2 and 125 pounds, reported regaining consciousness about five minutes later in the back of the squad car.
In a news release on Monday, Porter expressed her distress over the incident, “These deputies treated us less than human and left a void we are still struggling to fill. I cannot describe what this type of experience does to a person, but I wish it on no one.”
We are left with an unsettling portrait of a violent arrest, a substantial settlement, and lingering questions about law enforcement conduct and accountability.
