San Mateo County settles Okobi’s Taser suit for $4.5 million

An attorney for Okobi’s family had previously questioned whether the deputies’ use of force was appropriate and started a civil case on behalf of the family. Okobi’s sister, Ebele Okobi, previously expressed sentiments that there was not a sufficient explanation from authorities for why her brother was stopped by deputies that day.

A toxicology report showed Okobi had no drugs, medication or alcohol in his body when he died, and an autopsy found Okobi had an enlarged heart and died from cardiac arrest following physical exertion, physical restraint and recent electro-muscular disruption.

The San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office cleared deputies of any criminal charges five months after his death because it determined deputies acted reasonably as law enforcement officers. The DA’s Office cited deputies attempting to detain Okobi for several vehicle code violations, attempting to de-escalate the incident before arresting him, using nonlethal force to subdue Okobi and requesting medical assistance.

The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office declined to comment, according to spokesperson Javier Acosta.

Okboi’s death was cited by Assemblyman Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, when he introduced a state bill to decriminalize jaywalking to prevent police encounters that could potentially become life-threatening. The bill, AB 2147, The Freedom To Walk Act, was passed in 2022. County officials agreed to spend nearly $1 million on hundreds of new Tasers in 2020, which law enforcement officers claim are less lethal than older models.

A copy of the lawsuit noted the money would come from insurance rather than the county. The document showed the family signed the document by September 2022. Money will be set aside for Okobi’s daughter, who is a minor. The case was heard in the United States District Court in the Northern District of California.