From Hudson Sangree:
The parents of Ricardo Abrahams, a man they say was mentally disturbed, sued the city of Woodland and four of its police officers Wednesday, claiming police killed Abrahams during a struggle.
Rosemary and Cecil Abrahams of Davis claim officers killed their son by beating him with batons, shooting him with Tasers and tackling him without cause.
Police were called to check on Abrahams after he walked out of a voluntary treatment facility. The officers said he disobeyed them and acted aggressively.
Abrahams, who was attending law school, was an intern in the Yolo County District Attorney's office. His parents say he was suffering from stress-induced mental disturbance.
The lawsuit names officers John Perez, Omar Flores, Anthony Cucchi and Amanda Waldeck as defendants. The officers decided to take Abrahams into custody even though he had done nothing illegal, the suit says.
An internal Woodland police investigation and a review of that investigation by the state Attorney General's office found no evidence of wrongdoing. The Yolo County coroner concluded Abrahams died of asphyxia under restraint.
The lawsuit, which asks for an unspecified amount of damages, also names Taser International as a defendant.
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