Defendants & Plaintiffs Reach Settlement in Sandra Harmon Wrongful Death Lawsuit

/

In recent news, the defendants and plaintiffs agreed on a settlement in the wrongful death lawsuit of Sandra Harmon.

The Case: Estate of Sandra Lee Harmon, et al., v. County of San Mateo, et al.

The Court: United States District Court Northern District of California

The Case No.: 21-cv-01463-VC

The Plaintiff: Estate of Sandra Lee Harmon, et al., v. County of San Mateo, et al.

Sandra Harmon, a 56-year-old woman suffering from mental health issues, was shot by San Mateo County Sheriff's deputies in Half Moon Bay in May 2020. The plaintiff in the case is the Estate of Sandra Lee Harmon. Sarah Gatliff, Harmon's daughter, filed the wrongful death lawsuit in March 2021 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The suit listed nine complaints:

  • Excessive force

  • Loss of familial association

  • Spoliation of evidence

  • Conspiracy

  • Supervisory liability

  • Municipal liability

  • Wrongful death

  • Negligence

  • Negligent supervision, training & retention

The Defendant: Estate of Sandra Lee Harmon, et al., v. County of San Mateo, et al.

The lawsuit initially named nine defendants (including three deputies in the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, the city of Half Moon Bay, and San Mateo County). The lawsuit also named Sheriff Carlos Bolanos, District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe, and their respective offices. However, according to court documents, Gatliff and her legal counsel amended the complaint in August 2021, removing claims against Bolanos, Wagstaffe, and Sgt. James Goulart and their respective offices.

Details of the Case: Estate of Sandra Lee Harmon, et al., v. County of San Mateo, et al.

According to court documents, Dominguez was the first of two deputies to shoot Harmon. According to witnesses, on the night she was shot, Harmon was walking downtown holding a rifle and some alcohol while talking about a pending "race war." The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office claims Harmon fired the rifle on Officer Dominguez. Twenty seconds later, Baba arrived on the scene and ordered Harmon to get on the ground. According to the Sheriff's Office, Harmon reached for her weapon instead of getting on the ground, so the deputies fired. After lengthy court proceedings, the two parties in the case agreed to a settlement on Nov. 10th. According to the settlement agreement, San Mateo County will pay $170,000 to Gatliff and Harmon's estate.

If you have questions about how to file a California wrongful death lawsuit, please get in touch with Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik DeBlouw LLP. Experienced wrongful death attorneys are ready to assist you in various law firm offices in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Chicago.