Black Family Awarded $8.25 Million in Wrongful Detention at California Starbucks

A court jury found Northern California sheriff’s deputies guilty of wrongly detaining a Black family at a Starbucks. They were granted $8.25 million in compensation for the injustice detention.

According to NBC News, Aasylei Loggervale and her two daughters, Aaottae Loggervale and Aasylei Hardge-Loggervale, went to Starbucks located in Castro Valley in September 2019, which is located about 25 miles from downtown San Francisco. While they were there, the Alameda County sheriff arrested them based on relations to auto thefts around the area.

The white deputies allegedly told them they were being arrested for “car burglaries committed by unidentified Black men.” The mother denied access to her driver’s license when asked. She and her daughters stated that “they had not done anything wrong and had no connection whatsoever to any auto burglaries,” per civil suit documents.

The three females were handcuffed as the police searched their purses, car, and cell phones for evidence. They were released with no charges.

The jury found that the officers and Alameda County breached the constitutional rights of the women and violated civil protections against the police. The three women were awarded $2.75 million each. “This is vindication and validation for the Loggervales that they’ve been wronged, and that means a lot,” said attorney Craig Peters, per NBC News.

Alameda County Sheriff Yesenia Sanchez responded to verdict and said, “The community’s trust in my agency is foundational to my mission of maintaining a positive relationship with those we serve. The facts of this case are extremely important to me and our community members; however, I must reserve my comments until the case has been fully adjudicated through the court system.”

The two officials are currently still employed by the police department.