In 2020, Leslie Furcron filed a lawsuit against the city of La Mesa, CA after she was hit with a beanbag round fired by a police officer during a protest. The incident left Furcron partially blind. Recently, Furcron settled with the city for $10 million.
According to The San Diego Tribune, the incident resulted in headaches so severe that she dropped out of college. The report added that the 61-year-old is happy with the outcome of the lawsuit, but she doubts she’ll experience the normalcy that she was once accustomed to.
“I wish that it had never happened,” Furcron said to The Tribune. “I thank God that I’m living, but not every day is a good day for me.”
The report added that Furcron will need reconstructive surgery to seal the hole the beanbag left in her skull and that she will never have vision in her left eye.
Despite the incident leaving her blind, Furcron said she doesn’t regret protesting police brutality.
“I’d do it again,” Furcron said to The Tribune. “Because I’m not OK with police brutality. I have a voice. I have a First Amendment right.”
Erick Knudson, a former detective with La Mesa Police Department shot a beanbag during George Floyd protests on May 30, 2020, the report read.
In addition to protesting the murder of Floyd, La Mesa residents were also protesting the arrest of Amaurie Johnson, in which an officer allegedly pushed Johnson, a woman, onto a concrete bench, The Tribune reported.
Furcron’s lawsuit alleged that Knudson violated her First Amendment right to protest, The Tribune said.
Although Furcron walked away with a win, neither San Diego County’s District Attorney nor the La Mesa Police Department admitted Knudson’s wrongdoing. The county decided not to file charges against Knudson before sending a 25-page letter to La Mesa’s police chief, saying Knudson did violate his duties as a police officer.
“Detective Knudson believed Ms. Furcron had thrown a rock. He was incorrect. Ms. Furcron threw a can, but his belief was not unreasonable given the totality of circumstances the officers were dealing with over several hours of protesting and rioting where they were subject to rocks being thrown at them continuously,” the letter read, according to The Tribune.