ANTIOCH, Calif. (KRON) — The Contra Costa County Coroner’s Office announced Friday that a coroner’s jury reached a finding in the December 2020 death of Angelo Quinto.
The jury found that the death was an accident.
The coroner’s jury reached the verdict in the inquest after hearing the testimony of witnesses.
On Dec. 23, Quinto, a 30-year-old Navy veteran, died after a struggle with Antioch police officers.
Quinto’s family and his attorney said he was murdered by Antioch police after they called 911 for help. They say Quinto was in the middle of a mental health crisis.
They say officers put their knees on his neck.
Back in March, Antioch police released the 911 call made that night. Antioch Police Chief Tammany Brooks said officers responded within two minutes of the call to find Quinto’s mother holding him down on the ground.
Chief Brooks says a knee was never placed on Quinto’s head, neck or throat — despite the attorney for the Quinto family claiming the officers murdered him by putting a knee on his neck for five minutes.
An ambulance was called and he became unresponsive and was unhandcuffed and taken to the ICU. Three days later, he died.
“December 23, 2020 is a day that will live in infamy in Antioch. It will live in infamy because that’s the day that Antioch police officers killed Angelo Quinto by restraining him to death and that’s what happened. We’ve had an independent coroner retained. He’s reviewed the case and evidence. It is clear that this is an asphyxiation case. we’ll be filing a lawsuit in two weeks demonstrating that,” family attorney Ben Nisenbaum said.
This is a developing story.