CHULA VISTA, Calif. — After less than a day of deliberations, a federal jury ruled that Chula Vista police officers did not contribute to the death of Oral Nunis Sr. during a May 2020 altercation.
After more than three years of litigation, a federal jury found that officers used reasonable force on the 56-year-old Nunis who died a little more than twenty minutes after Nunis' daughter called a police call for help.
CBS 8 has followed the wrongful death case since 2020 and sat in federal court during the two-week-long trial.
At issue was whether or not police officers used excessive force on Nunis after his daughter phoned police for a mental health evaluation of her father just before midnight on March 12, 2020.
The plaintiffs claimed that the police officers were negligent and contributed to the elder Nunis' death. While attorneys for the city and the police officers claimed it was Nunis who caused his death by over-exertion and refusal to make the right choices.
In a statement to CBS 8, a spokesperson for Chula Vista said the city and police department appreciated the jury's attention in the case while also giving its condolences to the family.
"The City of Chula Vista appreciates the time and attention that the Court and jurors have dedicated to this case. The verdict finds that the City is not liable for the tragic death of Mr. Oral Nunis. While we believe the outcome reached is just and that Chula Vista’s police officers acted lawfully and reasonably, the Nunis family’s loss is heartbreaking, and the City of Chula Vista wishes to again express compassion towards the Nunis family for the loss of their beloved family member."
Meanwhile. Mr. Nunis' widow Roxie told CBS 8 that justice was not served.
"With all the facts that were there, with the brain damage, I just don't understand how they came to their conclusion that there was no force used when there was clearly enough force to kill [my husband]," said Roxie Nunis minutes after the verdict.
Added Ms. Nunis, "I think someone suffering from mental health shouldn't ever be painted as a criminal as if they were at fault, or they agitated the situation, because they're sick, and they need help. And that's what [police] were called for. The 911 call was made to get him help. It wasn't a murder sentence. He didn't ask to die. He asked for help. He asked for help."