Family Files Claim After Man Dies in Custody
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The family of a man who died after being pepper-sprayed has filed a $2.75-million claim for damages against the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Department and the county.
Mark Martel, the attorney for Fernando Cazares’ family, said the claim may be followed by a lawsuit. Cazares, 36, stopped breathing after two deputies doused him with pepper spray, pushed him to the ground and handcuffed him outside his home March 15.
An autopsy determined that Cazares died of a heart attack caused by cocaine intoxication. Pepper-spray inhalation and the physical struggle contributed to his death, the report said.
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