Marlene Pinnock, woman repeatedly punched by highway patrol, gets $1.5 million settlement
Marlene Pinnock, the woman who was repeatedly punched by a California Highway Patrol officer in a video captured on the side of a freeway, will receive a settlement of $1.5 million. The officer responsible for her beating in July — Daniel Andrew — will resign.
The settlement was confirmed by CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow in an emailed statement to the Associate Press. Pinnock’s lawyer disclosed the dollar amount that was agreed upon after a nine-hour mediation session.
Commissioner Farrow had this to say in the statement:
“When this incident occurred, I promised that I would look into it and vowed a swift resolution. Today, we have worked constructively to reach a settlement agreement that is satisfactory to all parties involved.”
According to the CHP, the woman was walking barefoot on an interstate highway outside downtown Los Angeles when an officer approached and advised her to stop walking. Pinnock reportedly did not respond and as a result was arrested after she became “physically combative” — which then led to the intense altercation.
Pinnock, who has been diagnosed as bipolar and off her medication at the time of the incident, told the AP that she believed Officer Andrew was trying to kill her.
“He grabbed me, he threw me down, he started beating me,” she said. “I felt like he was trying to kill me, beat me to death.”
Officer Andrew could still face criminal charges. A large portion of Pinnock’s settlement will be placed in a special needs trust.
