Lawsuit Over Angelo Quinto’s Death Being Ruled an Accident Could Be Tossed by Judge

A Contra Costa County judge is poised to consider dismissing a lawsuit filed by the family of Angelo Quinto, who died after being forcibly restrained by Antioch police in 2020, that sought to reverse the coroner’s ruling of his death as an accident.

The family’s lawsuit argues the cause of death should be asphyxiation and seeks a court order compelling the county to vacate the ruling of Quinto’s death as accidental and “amend the record to accurately designate Mr. Quinto’s death by presenting all the relevant evidence and medical findings.”

“Really, it’s about it’s a fight to make sure that the cover-up is not successful and that the truth is able to be unearthed in this situation,” Quinto’s father, Robert Collins, told KQED on Friday after a hearing at Superior Court in Martinez.

Quinto, a 30-year-old Navy veteran, was having a mental health emergency in his home on Dec. 23, 2020, when his family called police after he began to act paranoid and agitated, according to a separate civil rights lawsuit filed by his family.

Two officers arrived to find Quinto held in his mother’s arms and pulled him from her grasp, flipping him onto his stomach, according to the family’s claim. As they did, Quinto called out, “Please don’t kill me,” at least twice, the claim said.

The officers crossed Quinto’s legs behind him and took turns kneeling on his neck, according to the claim, which said he started bleeding from his mouth after being restrained for nearly five minutes.

Since then, Quinto’s family has successfully advocated for a statewide ban on a term initially listed by the coroner as the cause of death: “Excited delirium.” They are also pushing Contra Costa County to fully separate the county coroner’s office from the sheriff’s office to ensure objectivity in the determination of cause and manner of death.

At Friday’s hearing, the county argued the lawsuit over the classification of Quinto’s death as an accident should be dismissed because the family lacks legal standing, a position Judge Gina Dashman favored in a tentative ruling.

The county also contends the family has access to other legal remedies, likely referencing their $7.5 million civil settlement agreement with the city of Antioch in May.

A final ruling is expected in the coming weeks.

KQED’s Katie DeBenedetti contributed to this report.