California cops have agreed to pay a nearly $1million settlement after they forced a confession out of a mentally unstable man by threatening to kill his dog if he did not falsely admit to murdering his father – who was alive and well.
Thomas Perez Jr was questioned by police for over 17 hours in 2018 in an interrogation that amounted to ‘unconstitutional psychological torture,’ according to the judge.
Perez reported his father missing to police. He was never formally arrested, but was still taken to the Fontana Police Department on August 8, 2018 to be questioned.
He was told by officers that if he didn’t confess to murdering his father, they would have to put his dog to sleep due to ‘depression’ over witnessing a murder that never occurred.
After hours of interrogation, Perez became visibly distressed and resorted to self destructive acts including pulling his hair out, hitting himself and tearing off his shirt.
He was told by officers that if he didn’t confess to murdering his father, they would have to put his dog to sleep due to ‘ depression ‘ over witnessing a murder that never occurred
The judge said he was ‘sleep deprived, mentally ill, and, significantly, undergoing symptoms of withdrawal from his psychiatric medications.’
Perez also had reportedly begged for medical attention but was never provided his psychiatric medication.
He was told his father was found dead with stab wounds, however, police soon after found his father alive and well. Perez’s sister said her father was with a ‘lady friend.’
A detective reportedly told him: ‘How can you sit there, how can you sit there and say you don’t know what happened, and your dog is sitting there looking at you, knowing that you killed your dad?
‘Look at your dog. She knows, because she was walking through all the blood.’
After 17 hours of interrogation, Perez finally admitted to the crime he didn’t commit.
Perez also had reportedly begged for medical attention but was never provided his psychiatric medication. When the two interrogating officers left Perez alone in the room, he attempted suicide by hanging
After 17 hours of interrogation, Perez finally admitted to the crime he didn’t commit
When the two interrogating officers left Perez alone in the room, he attempted suicide by hanging.
California Judge Dolly Gee ruled last June that the evidence in the case would convince the jury that the questioning amounted to ‘unconstitutional psychological torture.’
Footage of the interrogation was released, sparking outrage and a long legal battle before the city of Fontana, California, finally agreed to a $900,000 settlement.
His lawyer Jerry Steering told the Orange County Register, ‘Mentally torturing a false confession out of Tom Perez, concealing from him that his father was alive and well, and confining him in the psych ward because they made him suicidal.’
‘In my 40 years of suing the police I have never seen that level of deliberate cruelty by the police,’ he continued.
‘This case shows that if the police are skilled enough, and they grill you hard enough, they can get anybody to confess to anything.’
The city of Fontana, California, finally agreed to pay Thomas Perez Jr (pictured) a $900,000 settlement. Perez was questioned by police for over 17 hours in 2018 in an interrogation that amounted to ‘unconstitutional psychological torture’
After being coerced into confession, Perez was involuntarily admitted to a psych ward, where he remained in isolation for three days. Police never told him that his father was found alive. For three days, he sat alone in the psych unit believing that both his father and dog were dead
After confessing, Perez was involuntarily locked away in a psychiatric ward. He was kept there in isolation for three straight days.
Police reportedly neglected to inform Perez that his father was still alive. His dog was also given to a shelter but later rescued, according to the Telegraph.
For days, Perez sat alone in the psychiatric unit believing that both his father and dog were dead.
The police department has not specified whether the police officers involved will face any repercussions.