Thursday's news conference gave David Silva's family and their attorneys 3.4 million reasons to vent after they reached a settlement with Kern County for Silva's wrongful death lawsuit
"This settlement represents for the Kern County Sheriff's Department, a richly deserved black eye," said Thomas Seabaugh, a Los Angeles civil rights attorney who helped represent the Silva family.
"This $3.4 million should say something, that the sheriff of this town is still in denial," said Chris Silva, David Silva's brother.
But sheriff Donny Youngblood says settling doesn't mean the department is guilty.
"I was not in favor of settling. The attorneys that say we are lying, if you want to believe that, you have to believe that all of us put our careers on the line for one case and we all got together and decided to lie to the public."
David Silva died in May 2013 after nine sheriff's deputies and other officers allegedly attacked Silva after they found him asleep across the street from Kern Medical Center. Silva had tried to receive medical attention at Kern Medical and a mental health facility but was turned away.
"Despite being asleep, these officers hit him with batons, they put a canine on him, they put him in a prone position, they put pressure on his back for an extended period of time," said Neil Gehlawat, an attorney for Silva family.
Sheriff Youngblood says it's all wrong.
"If all that is true, they sold out to cheap. Their attorneys undersold them way too cheap. If all that's true, it's worth a lot more money than this."
Sheriff Youngblood added that his deputies acted within policy to take down Silva, who was combative and using meth. But the Silva family disagrees.
"All of them said David never stood up, punched them, kicked them, spit on them or used foul language," said Mary Silva, David Silva's mother.
Sheriff Youngblood continually said that his department did nothing wrong.
"You have to decide who has the financial interest in this case. I'm not losing any money. I'm not gaining any money. The attorneys are making a lot of money. So if you have to weigh that, the public has to decide who is being truthful, the sheriff or the attorneys."
