A federal judge has unsealed a video taken by the California Highway Patrol that shows the death of Edward Bronstein, a 38-year-old man who was detained following a traffic stop in Los Angeles County in March 2020.
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While pinned to the ground, Bronstein can be heard repeatedly telling officers, “I can’t breathe.”
Those three words, repeated by George Floyd before his death while being restrained by Minneapolis police, would prick the world’s conscienceless than two months later.
Floyd’s death in May 2020 sparked national and global protests against police brutality and racial injustice, prompting a national reckoning about how law enforcement treats Black Americans. Derek Chauvin, the officer who killed Floyd, was convicted of murder in April 2021.
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The CHP video was made available for use in a federal wrongful death lawsuit filed by Bronstein’s family against the state of California, the CHP, and individual officers who were present at the time of his death. There have been no charges filed against any officers in connection with Bronstein’s death.
The decision to release the video on Tuesday was made because “the public’s interest in the conduct of its peace officers outweighs other interests and any risk of specified harm,” according to the decision.
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